Ships in the Night
by Island Wolf
Summary: [Redorbshipping] She'd always thought of them like ships passing in the night, transitory and incidental, never connecting for more than a few fleeting and furtive moments, and yet they had found each other again after years sailing in darkness like a phantom from the fog. But would they cross their bows or pass again into a wide open sea, disappearing into silence once more.
1. Two ships

Island Wolf: I've been a wee bit antsy lately and I wanted to write some Redorb that wasn't specifically No Man's Land related. Some of my peeps on Tumblr will have already seen this, but I figured it'd be a good idea to put it up here. I'm labeling it a one-shot for now, but if I get the time and the mood I might add a few more. In any case it's a fun place to just spit out plot bunnies and relax.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, I'm just borrowing Maxie and May for my own twisted amusement as per usual

* * *

The ocean air caressed her face like a long lost lover as she walked up the gangway. She felt the weight of her life, packed so neatly in the olive drab duffel bag she carried slung over her shoulder like a solider, and smiled at the Mightyena at her side. He looked up at her with ruby eyes, ears perked and tongue lolling out in a canine smile as he tasted the brine on the air. She spared a backward glance only once when she stepped onto the main deck. Lilycove looked small and quaint, sprawling lazily over flowered hills and strands of sandy coastline. She felt herself smile. So many adventures, so many tears, so many laughs...

Her Mightyena gently took the sleeve of her coat in his teeth and tugged her away. She pulled herself free and scratched him behind the ears. "Right, right, no turning back now."

She wormed her way through the crowd and headed below decks to the passenger cabins. May opened the door to the cramped little room that would serve as home for the next week as they jutted along the southern coast of the nation until they reached Unova. A narrow bed was wedged into the corner next to a tiny writing desk and chair. The burgundy carpet was threadbare and worn from the feet of thousands of travellers before her, but it was an altogether charming space and the porthole above the head of her bed was an added delight. She tossed her bag onto the bed and carefully pocketed the card key as the ship sounded her horn in a long blast, warning of her impending disembarkation. "Shall we go say goodbye Gabe?"

The Mightyena barked and rubbed his head against her hip affectionately. She smiled and quickly climbed the steps to the promenade deck. Others had gathered here with similar plans, taking their last look at the land they would likely not see again for some time – the long distance ferry run only happened a handful of times per year and it was not a cheap voyage by any means. May rested her forearms against the railing and felt the ship shudder from stem to stern as her engines roared to life. The vibrations pulsed into a deep, thrumming rhythm and the horn blasted one more time as the mooring lines were let go and the M.V _Caspira_, started pulling away from the dock. May felt her eyes burn and her lip quivered, but she did not let herself cry. It had to happen eventually – her eight years as Hoenn's Champion had been phenomenal and she'd been right up there in the records for holding the title as long as she did.

But all good things must come to an end.

She'd been beaten, and rather soundly. She had to tip her hat to that boy and wished him well, but now with no duty to shackle her down May Maple had decided to move on. Her parents had been gone for a long time; three years – three long, difficult years. Hoenn had been her start, her stomping grounds, her baptism by fire, but it wasn't home. Not anymore.

The decks pulsed with the engines' building power as they scudded past the breakwater and jetty, and on to open water. May smiled as she felt the ship start to roll slowly on the deeper waves of the open ocean. Big as the _Caspira_ was, the sea's power still rocked her with a gentle hand. She looked back astern at Hoenn's shrinking coastline and felt her smile fade. She thought of Brendan, of Steven and the friends she'd made over the years. They'd begged her not to leave and for a while she'd considered listening to them, but quiet nights at home had made her anxious and nights spent out under Hoenn's stars had become too familiar.

"You look much prettier when you smile you know."

That voice.

She looked to her left and saw red. He rested his back against the rail, keeping his gaze firmly forward and off of the rolling waves below. His fiery hair was tossed playfully by the wind, leaving him looking rakish as he turned up the collar of his coal black coat against the stiff breeze – it was a startling juxtaposition from her memories where he stood tall with a spine like iron, nary a wrinkle on his uniform, not a hair out of place. The easy smile he wore was the most shocking of all and she had to grip the railing hard, a few flakes of paint and rust coming away on her hands. She took a deep breath through her nose and looked over at him. "Are you making a pass at me?"

"No, just stating a fact," he replied and then finally looked at her. His eyes, still the same impossibly deep, earthy shade of brown lacked the fervent fire they'd had in days gone by. Now they smoldered warmly, reflecting the light of a sun just beginning to set. His thin lips curved into another casual smile. "Of course I'm hoping the flattery will make you consider not arresting me."

"Wouldn't do you any good, I don't have that kind of authority anymore."

"Ah yes, I'd heard rumours you'd been...dethroned," he said – was that a hint of mischief she detected there? "I still wouldn't put it past you to make a citizen's arrest."

"As of – two minutes ago we hit international waters, I couldn't do a damn thing even if I wanted to," May said, turning her gaze back onto the sea. She watched a flock of Wingull dive for fish and marvelled at their grace. She did her damnedest not to look over at him. She still wasn't even sure it was him...

This wasn't the Maxie she knew.

Without a snarl on his lips or an acerbic criticism on his razor tongue he seemed so, dare she say it – normal? Her pensiveness must have shown because his soft laugh brought her hurtling back to reality. "Really, now the May Maple I knew, bleeding heart though she was, wouldn't have hesitated to do the 'right thing' and bring me to justice."

Oh, he had a point there.

She reached down and ran her fingers through Gabriel's coarse fur. The canine had been keeping a watchful eye on the man standing next to his Mistress, though now he tilted his head back, crooning at the sudden attention. "Touche. In all fairness you _did_ help me for a while, at least where stopping Archie was concerned. That counts for something in my book."

"Complete vindication seems a stretch."

"Holding grudges is exhausting work Mr. Asher, I don't have the time or energy to devote myself to the task," she said with a wry grin and spared him a sideways glance. "I read the case file and kept up with the investigation team – you and Archie don't even crack the top ten wanted list anymore."

She turned to face him directly, leaning her hip against the rail. "Hate to say it, but you're small fish nowadays."

"Oh how comforting," he replied dryly with a roll of his eyes and she saw a sliver of the old Maxie shining through. For some god awful reason that made her smile. She quickly turned away, back to the sea to hide it and when she dared to steal a sidelong glance he was gone.

* * *

She met him again two days later.

They'd sailed into the calm, tropical seas that the southern ocean was famed for. The winds no longer swept down from the north, but were warm and wonderful from the west. To celebrate the fair winds and fairer weather the promenade deck had been changed into an outside bar area, festooned with lights, cafe tables and a small area towards the bow designated for dancing to the sweet, jazzy sounds of a bygone era. She sipped on her wine, a beautiful Beaujolais-style red from Kalos and smiled at the couples swaying to the time of the music and the waves of the south sea.

"I didn't take you for a social drinker."

"Red wine and a good scotch make life worth living," she said and tapped on the bar to get the server's attention. "A glass of 30 year-old Glenfiddich for the gentleman."

"Miss Maple -"

"Please, I didn't bother with a stateroom and I intend to spend a great deal of the money I saved right here," she replied, though the end of her sentence was muffled by her wine glass. He laughed and accepted the glass that was pushed towards them, raising it towards her in a silent toast before taking a swallow. He'd dressed himself elegantly tonight in charcoal grey slacks and stylish pinstriped waistcoat worn over a carmine button down shirt. She noted with some amusement that the colour was devilishly close to the deep red of her sleeveless chiffon shirt. She was glad she'd picked such a light garment and the night wind felt so lovely on the bare skin exposed by the key hole neckline and open back, though she felt a little bit exposed sitting next to him dressed as such.

"So, what has May Maple, the great saviour of Hoenn, fleeing from the land she fought so hard to protect?"

"Because it's not home to me anymore," she replied softly. "I – I love Hoenn, don't get me wrong. It's been good to me and I've met such good people there, but I've lost people too and -"

She leaned her head back and looked up at the stars, smiling when she realized that she couldn't find any of the old constellations that had guided her way so many times in the darkness of Hoenn's wilds. "I'm not 12 anymore. Hoenn's too small for me, she's got nothing left to offer. I need to see what else is out there. I'm not May the Hero, or May the Champion anymore," She looked at him fully for the first time since he'd sat down and smiled, even if it felt sad. "I'm May. Just May."

"Well, 'Just May' that's not a bad thing," he replied and he almost sounded kind. May took another swallow of her wine.

"And what has Maximilian Asher, the great leader of Team Magma, sailing across the southern sea, away from the land he fought so hard for?"

"Maybe I'm trying to be 'just Maxie' again," he replied with a half shrug. The gesture was disarming, but his eyes were dark and serious. "I was misguided and set on the wrong side for so long, and it was only due to the actions of an annoyingly skillful and belligerently determined _girl_ to show me what a fool I'd been. Still, Hoenn – is no longer a home to me either."

"Where are you going to go?"

"I don't know," came the honest reply and for a moment May felt glad that she wasn't the only one set on that destination.

A sizable wave managed to clip the ship broadside – it hardly made a difference to such a large vessel, but for a second her bow rolled deep causing the world to slant for a moment before all went level again. May glanced at Maxie who'd visibly paled and was clutching the edge of the bar with his free hand like a lifeline. She shook her head at him and took a swallow of her wine. "Christ, you really do not like the water."

"I'm not overly fond of it, no," he said through clenched teeth as he tried to compose himself. She watched him for a moment before sliding out of her chair and began heading towards the stern. "Where are you going?"

"For a walk, you're welcome to join me."

She didn't bother to see if he followed and slipped away from the lights and the music to the stern. The aft of the ship was cast in shadow by the wheelhouse, but there was plenty of ambient light from the half-moon and the light filtering out through curtained portholes. She leaned against the railing and watched the white wake of foam cutting through the midnight black waters. A warm wind caressed her bare arms and once again was glad she'd opted for thin clothing tonight. She heard footsteps behind her, but did not turn around. Rather, she drained the last of her wine and rolled the stem of the empty glass between her fingers. "So," she started, finally turning around to lean her back against the rail, "what on earth made you choose sailing as your preferred method of escape when the slightest roll gives you a conniption?"

"You know I do recall you being far more polite when you infiltrated by organization."

"Dodging the question?"

"As proud as I am of my Crobat he's hardly capable of flying me across regions – and the border patrols in the eastern mountains are dreadfully hard to dodge, and I really want to avoid being arrested."

"So, a slow moving passenger vessel on the open ocean was your next best choice."

"Beggers can't be choosers."

"Fair enough," she conceded. She tilted her head back to look at the stars again. "Want to talk about it?"

"About what?" he said. She didn't take her eyes off of the sky but she felt him stand beside her.

"Why a swell over two feet has you bloody terrified."

"You're so delicate," she heard him huff. "I have good reason to be terrified...believe me."

"Alright then," she said, closing her eyes and lowering her head. "Room 408."

"What?"

"That's my room number, let me know if you change your mind."

With that she started to walk away, twirling the stem of the glass between her fingers again. He made no move to follow her, but she heard him mutter so quietly she almost didn't hear.

"420."

* * *

He didn't come to her room after, but she found him at the bar again the following night. He'd swapped out his red button-down for one of deep forest green. It was an unexpected colour choice, but she had to admit it did look rather fetching on him. She'd decided to keep enjoying the tropical weather and had opted for a flowing black skirt and a blouse like top of cream that cut away to expose her pale midriff.

Maxie saw her coming and she could have sworn, just for a fraction of a second his eyes had widened in what she could only call surprise. Quickly as it had come, however, it disappeared and he gave her a nod, pushing a glass of wine – the same vintage she'd been drinking last night, towards her. "You know," she said, after taking a sip, "I'm surprised you don't just spend your time below decks. Wouldn't that cause you less anxiety?"

"I'd prefer to celebrate my escape from the law with good liquor over wallowing in solitude."

"Oh and here I was thinking it was my spectacular company that had lured you out of your hiding place."

The look he gave her was positively wicked as he watched her over the rim of his glass. Without warning he set down his drink and rose, offering his hand to her. She raised an eyebrow, but accepted the gesture nonetheless. He guided her towards the bow where people where dancing to the sweet sound of Edith Piaf singing La Vie en Rose. He kept hold of her hand, settling his other one on her exposed waist. She smiled – his hands were warm against her bare skin and she brought her free hand up to rest on his shoulder as he started to lead her into a slow, swaying dance. "So what brought this on?"

"I figured I owed you at least a dance for all the trouble I've caused you," he said, twisting her into an effortless spin. She huffed a laugh as she returned to her original position, though perhaps moving a little closer than she had been before.

"Months of terror and nearly destroying an entire region, for a dance?" she drawled. "I'll take it I suppose, if you answer this question."

"Go ahead."

"Who are you and what have you done with Maximilian Asher?" she asked teasingly. His wicked grin returned and he leaned in close to whisper in her ear. She shivered when she felt his breath against her skin.

"Well, a certain meddlesome girl forced him underground for quite a long time and he had to take a good, long look at his life."

"And?"

"He may have realized what a colossally egotistical prick he'd been," he said, drawing back. It didn't make any sense – she should've been furious with him, ready to rip him apart for what he'd done, the pain and suffering he'd caused and yet all she could do was dance with him and smile like a fool. How could she berate him when she didn't even have the courage to stay in her own homeland. She was running away from life just as much as he was and she'd meant what she's said before – holding grudges required far more energy than she was willing to give.

"And I may have been a self-righteous little brat."

He seemed caught off-guard by the sudden remark, but he was quick to recover, laughing as he lowered her into a dip and brought her back up with agonizing slowness. The song ended and he kissed the back of her hand. "Certainly not anymore."

May watched him go, weaving through the crowds and off into the darkness of the unlit stern. She wandered back up to the bar and ordered another glass of wine.

* * *

The next night there would be no dancing or drinking under the stars.

A storm had come flying out of the east and caught them on the unawares. Seas heaved and tossed the ship like a toy as gale force winds whipped the blue-grey ocean into a foaming tempest and rain lashed the decks in stinging sheets. All services aboard had been shut down and for good reason – even from her room she could hear the dishes smashing in the galley and people getting violently ill from the rolling motion of the vessel as she dipped into the troughs and crested the peaks of the waves. She'd never been one to suffer from seasickness, but the same could not be said of her poor pokémon. Gabriel had retreated into his pokéball after a miserable evening.

Her mind drifted to the man staying just down the hall. If a low swell had discomforted him she could only imagine how he was handling a storm. Steeling her resolve she snatched the bag she'd prepared earlier in the day and left the room. It was a hard go travelling the few rooms down that she needed to, bouncing off of the walls as the ship rolled and heaved. Finally she came to the door marked '420' and rapped her knuckles against it. "Maxie, open up! It's me!"

It took a moment, but eventually she heard movement inside. The door cracked open, revealing a darkened room. "Miss Maple?"

She pushed the door open the rest of the way despite his protest and sat herself down in the desk chair, switching on the lamp as she did so. He looked white as a sheet and she could see him trembling from head to toe as he shut the door. "What are you doing here?" he hissed, still clutching the door knob for support. She rolled her eyes and rose, pulling him over to the bed where she forced him to sit down. It wasn't a difficult task as his knees practically gave out with the effort of moving from one end of the room to the other.

"Trying to make sure you don't die of a stress induced heart attack before we reach Unova," she said as she dragged the side table next to the bed so that it stood between them. She pulled over the desk chair so she could sit opposite him and revealed the contents of her bag. "Come on, we're getting faced and playing cards."

"I hardly think this is the time," Maxie growled as she pulled out a bottle of liquor and a deck of cards. He eyed the label and shot her a suspicious look. "Where on earth did you get a bottle of Glenfiddich?"

"Nicked it from the bar," May replied without batting an eye. She chuckled at his shocked expression. "What? Didn't think the great Champion of Hoenn was above a little rule breaking?"

"Absolutely."

"Oh how little you know," she grinned and placed two tumblers on the table, measuring out a sizable amount of amber liquid in both glasses. He eyed the alcohol incredulously and she sighed. "Maxie, if you want me to leave I will, but is trying to ride this out by yourself going to be any better?"

"Point taken," he muttered and snatched up the glass. May smiled knowingly and opened the deck of cards, shuffling them with deft fingers. "So what do you propose we play exactly?"

"Ordinarily I would say cribbage, but alas we lack a board," she sighed, feigning a sorrowed expression. "How about poker?"

"And what would be the stakes?"

There was a wicked gleam in his eye when he spoke and for a moment he seemed to be his old self again. Her lips twisted in a wry smile. "Out of the gutter mister. How about we do drinks at the bar?"

"Fine," he said, shifting over to the edge of the bed as she dealt out the first hand. "What's the first bid?"

"Two drinks," May answered casually as she glanced at her cards; two sixes heart and club, a three of diamonds, a jack of clubs and an ace of hearts. "but I'll raise to three."

"Call," he said and tossed down three of his cards to discard. May frowned slightly and did the same before dealing them both three new cards. His expression was deucedly unreadable and she was starting to fear that he had a better poker face than she'd originally thought. Her new cards didn't offer much security, a seven of spades, a king of hearts and a ten of hearts.

"Check."

"Raise two drinks."

"Call," she answered and laid down her hand for him to see. "Show 'em."

"Well, look at that a pair of kings to your sixes. Looks like you owe me five drinks Miss Maple."

"Yeah, yeah don't look so smug. The night is still young."

* * *

Three-quarters of a bottle and a number of hands later they had just about evened out in terms of how many drinks they owed one another. May was sitting sideways in the chair, legs dangling over one arm and he was looking significantly more relaxed, though he still had a tendency to grip the edge of the table every time they took a hard roll. Still, she found the whole situation highly amusing – here she was, nearly three sheets to the wind, giggling and playing poker with a man who'd threatened here well being on several occasions. What a funny little world they lived in. "I'll raise to – how many are we at now?"

"You know what...I've lost count."

She stared at him for a moment before dissolving into a fit of giggles. "That's – oh wow did we drink all of that?" she hiccoughed and drained the last of her drink. He was handling his liquor better than she was by a significant margin, but at the very least the healthy dose of scotch seemed to make him more inclined to smile. In her drunken state of mind she decided that she liked the way he smiled.

Feeling decidedly bold she took a moment to really look at him. His features were sharp and not so much handsome as they were elegant. In eight years he hadn't aged much, a few more lines about his eyes perhaps, but his hair was still that startlingly bold shade of red, combed neatly back with not a speck of grey to be seen. Eyes the colour of black coffee stood out starkly against the paleness of his skin watching her carefully over his cards. He was bloody attractive, she realized and felt her face heat up at the thought. A few strands of his fiery hair had fallen to frame his face and her fingers twitched with the sudden urge to brush them back. _Oh damn._ "Well what now?"

"We could wager something else?"

"Hmm, now that's a fair idea," she mused, abruptly sitting upright in her chair. "But what to bet..."

She traced a finger along the rim of her emptied glass, humming thoughtfully. "How about a kiss?"

Shock was the first thing that crossed his features, quickly followed by confusion and – was that trepidation she detected in those impossibly dark eyes of his? "Miss Maple surely you can't be serious."

"Why not?" she asked and slowly began dealing out the hand. May smirked as she glanced at her hand, four hearts and a spade – how lovely. "Call the bid or fold."

"Miss Maple, this is wildly inappropriate."

"Call the bid or fold."

"You cannot be serious."

"Call the bid or -"

Looking back on it May realized that the ship must have taken a rogue wave broadside, but at the time all she knew was that the world lurched suddenly and violently to one side. The table tipped and the lamp was thrown off of the desk and onto the floor, darkening one half of the room and throwing the other in to sharp relief. May fell to her hands and knees, thrown out of the chair from the violent motion and Maxie was tossed off of the edge of the bed completely. Metal groaned and creaked ominously, undercut by the startled, if muffled cries of other passengers as they were thrown around their cabins. Slowly, everything became level again and May slowly sat up, blinking dazedly as she tried to clear her head of the shock of what had just happened. She shook her head and suddenly realized that Maxie had not moved from where he had fallen. Quickly, she crawled over to him and carefully rolled him onto his back. He was conscious, but his eyes were wide with fear and his expression was one of absolute terror. It seemed all he could do to keep himself breathing and even that was ragged and uneven. What was left of her drunken haze immediately cleared and she gently placed her hand against his cheek. His skin was cold and clammy and it was clear he'd broken out in a cold sweat from his fright. "Maxie? Maxie, everything is okay, we just took a wave, but everything is fine. The ship is fine, you're fine," she said, as soothingly as she could. "Come on now, look at me. Please?"

His dark eyes, made all the darker by the fact that they were now cast in shadow turned towards her. She smiled at him and smoothed back his hair away from his face. "There we go. You're okay, you're safe."

He stared at her for a moment, his expression once again completely unreadable before his hand was suddenly on the back of her neck, pulling her down until her lips met his. It wasn't anything extraordinary, just the gentle brush of flesh against flesh and the taste of the shared scotch, but she was suddenly overwhelmed by an all encompassing warmth and a feeling of completeness she hadn't felt in years. When they finally parted he gave her a weak smile. "Call."

She returned it and rose, helping him back onto his feet as he did so and helped him back onto the bed. She righted the table and lamp, picking up the mess of objects that had been scattered by the wave's power before turning back to him. He'd moved so that he was sitting with his back against the headboard, still looking pale and visibly shaken.

"Raise," she murmured, feeling the alcohol's effects slowly returning as the adrenaline faded away. She sat down on the bed next to him and rested her head against his shoulder. "Maxie...what happened to you? Why are you so afraid?"

"I – if you'd seen what I have, you would be afraid too," he said quietly. "You're probably to young to remember, but you've heard of the Northern Civil War yes?"

"Yeah, that was about 20 years ago wasn't it?" May nodded. The realization struck her like a freight train and she looked at him, startled. "Maxie...don't tell me -"

"I was just a young private at the time. We were being shipped up to the battle grounds when our vessel was torpedoed by an enemy u-boat."

The breath caught in his throat and he seemed unable to speak, but he didn't really need to. May could only envision the horror that he must've witnessed; the deck being blown up beneath his feet, smoke and gunpowder, the screams of drowning men... "Maxie, I'm sorry I teased you earlier – I had no idea."

"It's alright," he said, resting his cheek against the top of her head. It was wildly inappropriate to be cozying up to him like this – she knew that, but dammit how could she not after seeing him like this? It was startling really. Even in her earliest memories of him, he'd always been such a proud and passionate figure and it was oddly painful to see him so pale and afraid on the floor. Yes, he'd been power-hungry and more than a little threatening to him in the past, but never had he actually made an attempt to hurt her, and he had actually been very helpful when the time came to stop Archie. Misguided? Yes, evil? No, she couldn't call him that by any means. Still, it was conflicting to sit with him like this – and then there was the kiss she'd goaded him into.

She really needed to stop drinking so much.

Similar thoughts must have been running through his mind because he suddenly sat upright and shifted over slightly so that their shoulders were no longer touching. "Miss Maple, I apologize -"

Perhaps it was the scotch making her bold, but May rolled her eyes and huffed, shifting her position until she was lying down, resting her head on his lap. He started to protest and she abruptly shushed him, lightly smacking his chest. "Just – stop, alright? I instigated it so why feel sorry? If anything I should be the one apologizing, but I'm not going to because I think you needed it."

"Is that the scotch talking, or the bleeding heart I know so well?"

"Bit of both," she admitted, folding her hands neatly over her stomach. "Yeah you made mistakes, some catastrophic ones at that, but you _did_ try to make things right. That's got to count for something doesn't it?"

"It hardly makes up for years of borderline terrorism, nor does it expunge all of the atrocious things I said to you."

"Maybe not, but you've been making up for it the past few days...at least to me."

He sighed and started toying with a few locks of her hair. "I don't know if you're just incredibly naive, or ridiculously kind."

"Bit of both," she said again and shot him a crooked grin. "Are you saying you'd rather me curse you out or attempt to get you arrested?"

"I deserve it."

"And that's exactly why you don't," she replied, closing her eyes in contentment as he continued to play with her hair. The ship took another sudden roll, nowhere near the force of the wave that had caught them off guard earlier, but she felt him tense up and inhale sharply all the same. Sighing, she sat up and wrapped her arms firmly around his torso.

"What are you -"

"Oh shush you," she grumbled, settling her head against his chest. She could hear his heart beating hard behind his ribcage. "I don't like seeing you so afraid."

"And why is that?"

"Because it's not right. You're – you were always so strong and, I just – I don't like seeing you this way," she muttered, half to herself. "It makes me sad to know you had to go through all of that and...I'd much prefer to see you smile. You have a nice smile..."

"You don't – you don't want to see me upset?"

"Of course not."

He laughed softly and carefully drew her up onto his lap, studying her with curious eyes. "May Maple you are without a doubt one of the strangest creatures I've ever had the good fortune to meet."

"...I'm not sure if that was a compliment or not."

"Silly girl," he chuckled and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. The ship dipped sharply as she crested another wave and her hull groaned from the strain. May felt his grip on her tighten slightly, but is a far sight better than he had been all night. "Tell me, why did you feel the need to take it upon yourself to see to my well being hm? A casual drink is one thing, but this was personal."

"When I asked you where you were going you told me you didn't know...I – I don't know, I felt comforted by the fact that I wasn't the only one."

"Hn, two nomads without a home...a natural inclination to gravitate towards one another I suppose."

"You know," she said thoughtfully, her tongue still feeling bold from the last dregs of the scotch, "you're a rather nice person."

"Beg pardon? I'm quite sure I didn't hear that correctly."

"Of course you did," May huffed, rolling her eyes. "You've been perfectly pleasant these last few days and I – well I've rather enjoyed your company."

"Now that is a compliment," he said softly. May smiled, blinking drowsily. The seas had finally started to calm and the rocking motion combined with a belly full of liquor had started to lull her into a doze. She felt him delicately shift her off of his lap so that she could lay down properly. She sighed appreciatively and curled into his side. "I've rather enjoyed you as well Miss Maple and I – I am glad you came to see me tonight...I needed that."

"May."

"What?"

"May," she yawned and closed her eyes. "Just call me May."

* * *

When she awoke the next morning she noticed two things: one, that the seas were no longer raging, but rather lolled placidly beneath the hull and two, she was back in her own cabin. She sat up, blinking blearily as she tried to make sense of where she was and how she'd gotten there. Slowly, the memories of last night returned and she realized that Maxie must have brought her back to her room after she'd fallen asleep in his cabin. She smiled and rubbed the back of her neck ruefully...that had been an interesting evening to say the least. Changing into fresh clothing she headed up to the promenade deck.

He was nowhere to be seen.

A visit to his room yielded similar results as her knocks and calls went unanswered. May sighed and shrugged her shoulders. Perhaps this was the way it was meant to be. She climbed the stairs back onto the deck and headed to the stern, resting her arms on the railing as she watched the ships wake. Several pods of water-type pokémon were frolicking in the foaming water and she couldn't help but smile at their lively behaviour. A glance to her right saw the first signs of coastline they'd seen in several days, rapidly drawing nearer as they steamed ahead towards their Unovan port of call. In a couple of days they'd be pulling into Castelia City where they would disembark and she would start a brand new chapter of her life...a solo one by the looks of it.

She turned around and gazed up at the sky, smiling at the unfamiliar bird pokémon flying above them. Last night had been lovely and she would keep that memory tucked away very carefully in a special little place all its own. Maximilian Asher was no longer a shadow looming in the darker corners of her past, but a man – pure and simple, he was just a man, and one she would have liked to have known better. Maybe one day she'd find him again and fulfil that wish. Besides, they had a drinking debt to settle.

* * *

The sun was at high noon, beating down at full strength but despite the heat Castelia City remained a hub of activity – even moreso today. It was one of those rare occasions where one of the large trans-regional ferries were pulling into port, this one coming all the way from Hoenn, or so Hilda had been told. Sitting on a park bench, she watched the massive vessel pull into the harbour, slowly nosing her way into her designated berth where dock workers stood waiting to tie down her mooring lines. They did so with speedy precision as the ship docked and the gangway was let out allowing crowds of people and pokémon alike to take their first steps into Unova. She marvelled at the foreign pokémon, the likes of which she'd never seen in person before, accompanying their trainers as they walked up from the docks, some running into the open arms of waiting relatives while others walked quietly away into the streets having no such friends or family to call upon.

One young woman in particular caught her eye. She wasn't an extraordinary figure upon first glance, a rather petite thing in her early twenties perhaps with a fine looking Mightyena by her side, but her eyes, a breathtaking shade of azure that glinted fiercely in the light of the noon day sun bespoke of someone who'd seen remarkable things. Hilda watched as she hefted the olive green duffel bag higher on her shoulder, keen eyes scanning the city before her with a mixture of wonder and determination until they focused onto the dockside pokémon centre.

"You look much prettier when you smile."

The words were nearly lost in the buzz of the crowd, but Hilda heard them and so did the young woman with the Mightyena apparently. A man, darkly dressed with strikingly red hair was standing behind her, his dark eyes hopeful as the woman turned around. Hilda couldn't see the young woman's face, but whatever was said between them must have been good because she abruptly dropped her duffel bag and threw her arms around him, holding him tightly as he returned the embrace. Hilda smiled at the affectionate scene, though she appeared to be the only one to take notice.

Everyone else walked by them without a backward glance, slowly melding into the Unovan crowds, passing each other like ships in the night.


	2. City lights

Island Wolf: Another foolish little installment to this - well whatever it is, in which there is fine dining, compliments and plenty of snark. Sorry it's a bit on the short side.

Disclaimer: I own nothingggg

* * *

"So, do you have any suggestions for tonight?"

May studied her reflection in the bathroom mirror, still debating on whether she should let her hair flow freely, or pin the mousy brown locks up. Huffing, she finally grabbed a few bobby pins, holding two between her teeth while she she started to pin the mass of hair up and out of her face. Castelia, beautiful city though it was, was deucedly windy with all of its skyscrapers funnelling the sea breezes and onshore winds down the streets. She was rather tired of getting a mouthful of hair every time she opened her mouth to speak.

"There's a small restaurant just off of the city centre, Kalosian cuisine if I'm not mistaken. I think you'd enjoy it."

May smiled at the sound of her travelling companion's voice, muffled by the closed door between them. She took another bobby pin out of her mouth and started working on the next part of hair. "Sounds good," she mumbled around the pin still between her teeth. "I'll be done soon, just give me a few more minutes to deal my goddamn hair."

"I'm sure it looks fine."

"Easy for you to say, bit of wind makes you look charmingly rakish – I don't look quite so attractive with my entire face covered in frizzy hair."

"Charmingly rakish? Careful, you're complimenting me again."

Laughing, she put the last bobby pin in place and opened the door. Maxie was leaning against the far wall waiting for her. He was dressed in his usual evening wear, charcoal slacks and pinstriped waistcoat over one of his many button-down shirts with his long overcoat, cut in typical Unovan style, already around her shoulders. May resisted the urge to roll her eyes, debonair as always. It made her wonder if he was always this alluring and she'd just never noticed, or if he was simply trying harder on her behalf.

The latter was an admittedly titillating thought.

It had been two days since he'd found her on the Castelian docks, but they were in no rush to leave the city – May had never seen such a bustling urban hub before and Maxie was perfectly content to be stationary on dry land for a change. She was very glad that he'd at least been here before, briefly some years ago. The maze of streets and the skyscrapers rearing up to pierce the sky made her dizzy at first sight. Still acting the perfect gentleman he'd offered her his arm and guided her through the crowds to a hotel where they could at least settle themselves for a night or so. That had led to a rather amusing conversation with the desk clerk who had immediately assumed that the pair of foreigners were a couple. The poor girl had flushed a rather impressive shade of pink when they had corrected her and ordered a room with two separate beds. The kiss on that stormy night aside they weren't really sure where they stood with one another yet and May was grateful Maxie seemed to be of like mind in that regard.

Still, the way his eyes softened ever so slightly at the sight of her made her smile.

"Now who is the charming one?" he laughed and motioned for her to turn so that he could help with her own coat. May's smile grew broader at that – the life of the travelling trainer was a rough and tumble one and she'd never really been shown such gallantry aside from Steven, but she'd never been so fond of it as she was now. Aside from their gentlemanly conduct the two men couldn't have been more different from each other. "You do look so fetching in red."

May barked another laugh at that. "You're a bit too fond of that colour you know. Those uniforms were absolutely garish."

"I prefer intimidating."

"Try ridiculous."

He huffed, feigning offence, but offered his arm to her nonetheless. She accepted, flashing him a smug smile as they left their room and headed towards the elevator. The hapless desk clerk must have been still feeling guilty about her assumption because she'd given them a rather splendid room on the upper floors of the hotel that had a grand view of the city from the large window beside the bed she had decided to occupy. May spied their reflection in the burnished brass-plated doors of the lift and found it hard to hold her own gaze. It really wasn't a wild conclusion to make.

May was rather glad that Maxie had advised her to purchase a good coat upon their arrival. Autumn wasn't far off and Unova's turn of season had proven to be quite a great deal colder than the one in Hoenn. She supposed that's what she was going to use as an excuse if he asked why she'd drawn herself so close to him. In all fairness the man radiated warmth and she was tempted to make some sort of quip regarding volcanoes that probably would have made him scowl. Instead she tried to hide her smirk behind the upturned collar of her coat, though she suspected he would notice anyway.

"You really do look prettier when you smile."

Ah, so he had noticed.

"It's hard not to around you."

That seemed to throw him off a little, but when he turned away from her to look back at the road she saw his expression of shock turn into a small smile. No more words were exchanged between them as they walked, but the silence wasn't awkward – far from it, it was comfortable and put her at ease in this strange metropolis so far from home. They came to the city centre and May smiled. This was her favourite part of Castelia, its little park a splash of greenery in amongst the spires of ebony and glass. The little sphere of nature that existed at the heart of the city reminded her of Hoenn, where the towns were more intermingled with the surrounding wilds. Buskers were preforming in the light of the streetlamps, some playing music, others dancing and preforming acts of acrobatics and magic. It was so delightfully strange to her, so new, she felt like a little girl again, striking out from Littleroot for the very first time.

The restaurant was at the far end of the park. It's decor, brick and dark wine reds with paisley accents speaking of a culture distinct from what she had seen of Unova thus far. She could smell the food, the spice pallet also completely foreign to her and smiled in anticipation. She'd heard that Kalosian food was divine and was eager to put the rumours to the test. Maxie led her inside where the maitre d' greeted them and showed them to a small table in a cozy corner of the building, leaving them to ponder over their menus.

"This place is stunning," May said as Maxie proceeded to order them a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. She scanned the menu as their waiter returned with the bottle and opened it, setting it on the table to allow it to breathe while they ordered. The dishes, however, were largely unfamiliar to her and she looked at Maxie with a sheepish smile. "Any recommendations? I'm afraid I'm a bit at a loss."

"Hmm permit me?"

"By all means."

He looked at her for a few moments and May nearly blushed under his keen gaze before he finally turned to their waiter. "Alright we will start with an order of salmon tartare, for my main course I will have the Blanquette de Veau and the lady will have Magret de Canard."

"Very good, Sir," the young man said, flashing them both a smile as he collected the menus. May rested her chin on the heel of her hand as Maxie took the liberty of pouring them both a glass of wine. She took up her glass, giving the dark red liquid a gentle swirl before taking a small sip and nodding appreciatively at the rich vintage.

"So – what on earth are they about to put in front of me?"

"Relax, I've started you off gently," he chuckled, taking a swallow of his own wine. "It's duck breast."

"And here I was expecting something wildly strange. How did you get so familiar with Kalosian cuisine?"

"After I was discharged from the military I did a lot of travelling," he replied with a shrug. "Kalos was the region I spent the most time in away from Hoenn."

"I had no idea you were so well-travelled. Is there anywhere you haven't been?"

"Castelia is the only place I've ever been to in Unova, it was just a quick stop over," he said thoughtfully. "I've never been to Sinnoh before either."

"Well maybe that should be our next stop after Unova," she suggested, tracing the rim of her glass with one finger. He seemed surprised at the prospect and for a moment she was afraid she'd over stepped her boundaries by looking so far into the future and implying that he would be in it. His surprise, however, quickly vanished, replaced by an oddly pleased look.

"A bit presumptuous on your part, but I'm flattered that you think you'd want to keep me around for so long."

"Why wouldn't I?"

He looked like he wanted to say something and then thought better of it and looked away from her, but she noticed his hand move a little close to her own. After another beat of silence he managed to look at her fully again. "May, might I be so bold as to ask you a few questions?"

"Only if you permit me the same courtesy."

"Of course," he said, nodding. "Why didn't Mr. Stone or young Mr. Birch try to stop you from leaving Hoenn?"

"Oh they did, believe me. It was a hard go to convince them and even then...well I never told them _when_ exactly I was catching the ferry. I just – I knew they'd try to get me to stay and it took all I had to get onto that boat. If they'd have been there I think I would have lost my nerve."

"Well, I for one am glad you didn't. I am surprised though, that their company wasn't enough to get you to stay."

"And just what are you implying Maximilian?"

"Oh, I think you know."

His smile was smug and May felt her face heat up. She figured this would be brought up sooner or later...she'd been hoping for later though. "If you must know Steven and I were, ah shall we say, intimate at one point. We both agreed, however, that it wasn't going to work and put an end to it. We're still friends though."

"And Brendan Birch?"

"_Far_ too much like a brother," she laughed, pulling a face at the prospect. Deciding that her companion looked far too pleased with himself she turned the tables. "And what about you Mr. Asher? Surely a man of your experiences has had more than a few paramours?"

"Hmm you wouldn't be wrong there," he said, his dark eyes gleaming with amusement at her boldness. "But none of them were terribly serious."

"You know it's very easy to see why that girl thought we were...together," May laughed. "This is starting to stray into date-like territory."

"I apologize."

She smiled at him and took another sip of her wine. "Don't."

* * *

Dinner was perfectly pleasant affair, even after their conversation had strayed into rather personal territory. The food had been delicious and she had to admit Maxie had read her tastes very well. The wine he'd selected had also complemented the dish nicely. She really had to give it to that man – he had exquisite taste. That thought made her smile. Yet another facet of the apparent enigma that was Maximilian Asher.

They'd taken a short walk after dinner before heading back to the hotel where she'd shed her finery for her pyjamas and had flopped into bed next to her Mightyena much to her travelling partner's amusement. Said companion was currently in the shower completing what she was beginning to assume was his nightly ritual, though she had fallen asleep before he'd gotten out last time. She heard the water shut off and rolled over in time to see the bathroom door open, lighting light slice into the room. She was not expecting, however, to see him walking out in nothing but a towel.

It certainly was pleasing to the eye.

She'd always suspected Maxie kept himself rather fit and now she had conformation of her hunch. He wasn't overly muscled, but his frame was athletically built, tall and sinewy. Letting her thoughts drift to more crude territory she was quite amused to note that the carpet apparently matched the drapes judging by the coarse smattering of hair across his chest and the rusty red line that led down from his navel, disappearing beneath the towel.

He slicked back his wet hair with one hand, resting the other on his hip. He must have caught her staring because he suddenly flashed her a fiendish smirk. "Do you see something you like Miss Maple?"

"You're such an ass," she huffed and turned over onto her back to hide her blush, but she heard him laugh as he went to fetch the loose trousers she knew he liked to sleep in. She scratched Gabriel behind the ears and smiled at the contented growl he let out at her ministrations. The canine had been none too pleased when he'd been let free in the room only to find a former enemy, for lack of a better word, shacking up with his Mistress though he'd slowly but surely started to get used to Maxie's presence – once he was certain the man had no ill intentions of course. She heard said man climb into the other bed, but she remained on her back, determined not to look at him – she was afraid of how much redder her face might turn from the plethora of naughty thoughts running through her head. _Bad May, bad, bad, bad_.

"Did you enjoy dinner?"

"Oh very much so. You were right, I'm definitely a fan of Kalosian cuisine."

"Then we'll have to go there after Sinnoh."

"Now who's being presumptuous?"

"Tell me I'm wrong then."

"Ass," she huffed again, but she was smiling as she rolled over to look at him. He was already facing her, she could see the sliver of moonlight coming through the gap in the drapes reflected in his dark eyes. "Of course I want to go with you."

He didn't reply, but May could tell he was smiling in the darkness. She rolled onto her back again and Gabriel crawled up to lay his head on the pillow next to her as he always did. May curled into her pokémon's side and he huffed, flicking his tongue out to lick her nose before he settled himself down further. Comfortable laying next to her pokémon and knowing that Maxie was sleeping not far away she soon drifted off into a deep, dreamless slumber.

* * *

May awoke the next morning to the sound of rain and thunder.

The sound of water pattering against the glass was soothing at first, but a bright flash and a deep growl of thunder made her flinch and Gabriel abruptly sat upright with his ears flat and a whine in his throat. A groan came from her right and she saw Maxie stirring out of the corner of her eye. May sat up and gave him an apologetic smile as she rubbed Gabriel's back, trying to soothe the canine. "Sorry, he really doesn't like thunder, freaks him out something fierce."

"It's alright, mine gets the same way," he mumbled, voice still thick with sleep. Another flash and a rumble of thunder, louder and sharper this time seemed to wake him up a little more. He threw the covers off and got out of bed, walking to the window so that he could pull back one of the curtains. It was hard to see beyond the pane of glass with the amount of water running down its face, changing the Castelian skyline into a blur of black shapes and flickering lights against a dark grey sky. "I didn't think the weather was supposed to be so foul today."

"It's pretty dreadful – oof, Gabe watch it," she said as another clap of thunder had the canine jumping up into her lap and smacking a heavy paw against her chest as he whined.

"Why not just put him into his ball?"

"That just stresses him out more. He's too used to being out with me," she sighed, holding the shaking Mightyena close so she could hold him still. "So, we've got crappy weather and a frightened puppy. How should we pass the day away?"

"Might I suggest breakfast?"

"How? I can't leave Gabe here, the poor bugger will have a fit."

"Well there's this wonderful little thing called room service..."

"Okay, okay easy on the snark," May huffed, rolling her eyes. "Fine, order something and watch this big baby while I have a shower."

"I still think you should just put him in his pokéball -"

"Tough," May said as she hefted the whinging canine into her arms and abruptly deposited him onto Maxie's bed. It was very hard on her part not to laugh – it was difficult to tell who seemed more displeased by her actions, Gabriel or Maxie. The Mightyena alternated between growling and whining as the storm continued to rage outside until eventually his fear won out and he buried his head under Maxie's pillow. May grinned triumphantly. "Now you two boys get along, I'll just be a tick."

Before he could protest further May grabbed a towel from the rack by the door and slipped into the bathroom. Once she got into the shower she hummed appreciatively as the warm water sluiced over her skin. She had to remember to turn up the heat when she got out – the room had gotten a little chilly over the course of the night and she didn't fancy sitting in the cold with wet hair. She took her time on the last rinse, not wanting to leave the cocoon of warmth. When she finally stepped out she immediately wrapped the towel around her torso, trying to fend off the chill that seemed determined to worm its way into her bones.

"Now where is that – shit," she groaned, realizing that she'd forgotten her hairbrush out in the room. Sighing she dried herself off as best she cold and pulled her pyjamas back on, hoping to keep herself a little bit warmer. She opened the bathroom door and cringed at the rush of chilled air that came in, washing over her bare arms and wet hair. "Cold, cold oh that's cold!"

"Yes, that's ah very obvious."

May grabbed her brush and looked at Maxie with a raised an eyebrow, but he seemed quite determined not to look directly at her. "What are you – oh goddammit!"

She folded her arms over her chest and felt her face heat up to an alarming degree. Ah, female physiology could be a bitch sometimes. To be fair she had failed grab a bra before heading in to shower. She fled back into the bathroom with a shriek and peered around the door at him, making sure that he couldn't see her from the neck down. Maxie was trying very hard, and failing rather spectacularly, not to laugh at her as she glared at him. "Stop laughing you ass – and turn up the damn heat!"

"Your wish is my command."

"I hate you."

"Keep telling yourself that, pointy."

"Oh come on, now you're just being rude."

"May, come here."

She hesitated for a moment before cautiously stepping out of the bathroom, arms still tightly folded over her chest as she edged closer towards him. Maxie rolled his eyes and hooked an arm around her waist, swiftly pulling her down onto the bed in one fluid motion. May was hard pressed not to lean into him, but considering their current states of undress she decided it would be a little _too_ inappropriate. "You know you weren't nearly this embarrassed when you kissed me."

"I was _really_ drunk."

"My point is, foolish girl, is that you don't have to be so uncomfortable around me. If we're going to be travelling together I can guarantee there will be far more awkward moments than this."

"I suppose," May sighed. "Sorry, I'm just so used to being on my own."

"That's alright. Now, let me turn up the heat...I can tell you're still cold."

"Maxie!"


	3. Lines in the sand

Island Wolf: I actually can't stop, the plot bunnies had been doing the deed and their population has exploded. I just hnggg can't help it.

Disclaimer: I own nothingggg

* * *

The autumn air was brisk, laced with the sharp bite of the coming frost that would no doubt settle on the ground tonight. May had never worn so many layers on the road aside from the depths of winter in Hoenn and even then the temperatures were never really that bad. Unova was a colder region by far, and she was very glad for the turtleneck and scarf she wore beneath her long overcoat. Still, she was starting to get used to the region's chill – especially when her travelling companion made her feel so warm.

They had finally left Castelia behind them after a very comfortable week exploring what the city had to offer. Maxie had proven to be a wonderful guide and had made certain she experienced something new every night. It was mildly alarming really, how perfectly pleasant he'd been – an absolute gentleman with a wicked sense of humour she never would have expected from such a man. Eight years underground had done him good it would seem...or perhaps this was how he'd always been when not swept up in maniacal fanaticism. She was only too well aware at what he'd done, how abrasively he'd treated her back in those days, but now she felt no fear – if anything his presence had become a comfort especially here on the open road in a region so fantastically strange to her, though the uncertainty of how long he planned on staying with her was worrying. Still, she smiled to herself as she absentmindedly patted her Aggron's scaly arm. The massive metallic reptile had taken the liberty of shouldering their bags on the long trek between townships. Being such a large pokémon she didn't often get to roam around freely with her trainer so Aggron had only been too happy to oblige the request.

"What are you smiling about?"

"Oh, just eager to get to Nimbasa City. I'm quite interested in that Musical Theatre of theirs."

"Yes, I've heard it's quite the extravagant event."

Her companion had taken the liberty of letting his Mightyena out for a stretch – it helped to have two of the fierce looking canines in addition to May's hulking Aggron, a hefty female she'd affectionately nicknamed Gaia, to help dissuade any unwanted advances on the road. The pair of canids hadn't gotten along at first sight, with Gabriel immediately breaking out into a throaty snarl as he lunged at Maxie's who seemed only too willing to flash his fangs in return. A sharp, barking command from both of their trainers had gotten them to disengage from what surely would have been a bloody scuffle, but they still regarded one another warily from opposite sides of the road. While Duncan, Maxie's Mightyena, was certainly not fond of Gabriel he seemed to take to May well enough though any time he trotted over to May for a pet or a scratch behind the ears Gabriel would voice his displeasure in the form of a low growl. He did so again now as Duncan brushed against her leg and she answered him with a sharp rap across the muzzle with her two forefingers. He sniffed and shied away, displaying a submissive posture as she glared at him. "If you would just behave I wouldn't have to do that."

"I never would have guessed you'd owned such an aggressive pokémon."

"He's just protective. He's not usually this bad, in all fairness he's never had any good experiences with your friend there."

"Fair enough," Maxie nodded, reaching down to give his own Mightyena a rub behind the ears. Duncan was older than Gabriel by a nice stretch, as evident by the greying fur around his muzzle and the way he determinedly ignored Gabriel's growled warnings, just as an older alpha would in a wild pack. May idly hoped that Gabriel would settle down like that in his old age. Without warning Maxie put an arm out in front of her, effectively causing her to halt and look at him questioningly.

"What the -"

"Up ahead. I think we might have some trouble."

She followed his line of sight and saw two men garbed in one of the oddest uniforms she'd ever seen. The entire affair was a pale blue in colour save for the black sleeves and trousers, and the white tabard the bore an oddly stylized 'P'. They appeared to be guarding the road, or perhaps laying in wait for passers by. May felt the hair on the nape of her neck stand on end as each reached for a pokéball. It was common courtesy to accept the battle challenge of those met on the road, but the way these men put their hands up by way of a stopping gesture and one producing a coiled black whip from behind his back gave her a most sinister impression. "Now what on earth is all of this?"

"We are representatives of the noble Team Plasma," the man holding the whip declared as he uncoiled it. "We are here to liberate your pokémon from the bondages of their servitude to human masters!"

"Team...Plasma? I'm afraid I've never heard of you," May replied sharply. Sensing her mistress' rising tension Gaia stooped and deposited the bags onto the ground so she could shuffle forward with a menacing growl. "And you will most certainly be not 'liberating' us of our pokémon."

"Team Plasma stands for the defence of pokémon rights! You enslave them, take them from their homes and force them to partake in bloody battles and to do your bidding like common servants!"

"My pokémon are with me because they choose to be. If any were unhappy I would gladly release them back to the wilds!" May retorted hotly. Gabriel shoved his head beneath her hand, licking it to show his affection and make his trainer's point. There was a flash of light to her right and as Maxie's Camerupt emerged from his ball, standing protectively next to his master to join in the display. The two men sneered and unclipped two pokéballs from their belts. May narrowed her eyes. "How can you talk of us when you have pokémon under your command?"

"Because we use them to liberate others. Once all pokémon are free so too will they!"

A Krookodile and Liepard flashed into existence in front of the two men. May motioned Gaia forward and Maxie did the same to his Camerupt, making her feeling oddly exhilarated. They had never battle don the same side before, but she knew his skill and knew she could depend on him wholeheartedly. However, rather than start the double battle as she'd been expecting the grunt holding the whip whistled sharply, first a high note and then a low. The Krookodile slashed at the ground in front of it, whipping up a blinding cloud of sand and dirt that washed over them. May heard the crack of the whip before she felt it curl around her ankle and her feet were pulled out from under her. She yelped, falling hard onto her back as the Liepard dashed forward and pinned her down, trying to work the belt that held her pokéballs free.

"Get the hell off of her! Duncan, Take Down!"

Dazed and winded, she heard Maxie call out the sharp, barking command and a dark blur suddenly slammed into the the Liepard, knocking it off of her. There was another flash of light as the dust began to settle and May saw a Swellow suddenly swooping down in front of her.

"Steel wing!"

The elegant bird heeded Maxie's command and flew in low, wings taking on a metallic gleam as Swellow banked right and used its sharpened appendages to slice through the whip wrapped around her leg. May rolled back onto her knees, struggling for air. Maxie was at her side almost immediately, helping her to her feet. She looked at him and saw his dark eyes were hard and narrowed, burning with the same rage she felt coursing through her own veins like hot magma.

"Hephaestus, Earthquake!"

The Camerupt bellowed and slammed his forelimbs down onto the ground, sending out a shockwave that caused the earth to heave and buckle beneath the feet of the Plasma grunts and their pokémon.

"Gaia use Flamethrower!"

Gaia roared again and a jet of flame burst forth from her gaping maw sending the two men and their pokémon running into the bush and out of sight. May stepped forward, fully intent on pursuing them, but Maxie's hand on her arm made her stop. "Come on, we need to go after them! They're just thieves praying on travellers!"

"That may be, but we don't have jurisdiction here – we aren't Unovan citizens."

"That doesn't matter! We can't let them get away with this!"

"And I'll not let you put yourself in harms way again!" he snapped, holding her firm when she tried to pull away. "You've paid your dues May, stop with the hero complex – you don't have to save the world every time."

"But -"

"May, we are not equipped to deal with them. Two was fine, but what if they show up in greater numbers? Besides, we don't know the first thing about them, where they're going or what their real agenda might be. You can't run in blind – you might not get so lucky as you did with me. Call me a coward, but I'm not willing to let you risk your neck, not while we're together."

"But I – oh, alright...I guess you have a point," May sighed, dropping her shoulders defeatedly. Maxie's grip loosened and his arm moved to wrap around her shoulders. "I just hate to think of them attacking some poor young trainer on the road. They didn't realize who they were up against, but can you imagine if they cornered a rookie?"

"Such a bleeding heart you are," he sighed. "You'll have yourself grey before you know it. Now, are you alright?"

"I'm a bit sore, but nothing drastic. I can walk just fine."

"Alright, but the moment I see a limp you're going on Hephaestus' back."

The Camerupt huffed his agreement and May couldn't help but smile at the large bovine. He'd been a ferociously temperamental creature when she'd fought against him under Team Magma's rein, but the large pokémon had proven to be quite docile outside of the battle field – at least where Maxie was concerned. Seemingly satisfied that she wasn't about to charge head long after the two Team Plasma members Maxie withdrew his Swellow, allowing both his Camerupt and Mightyena to stay out alongside May's two pokémon. A party of four burly pokémon would prove a more effective deterrent hopefully. For a while she managed to keep pace, but slowly as the hours of the day ticked by the throbbing in her ankle and back became worse and eventually her gait started to show her discomfort. Without warning a pair of strong arms encircled her waist, hoisting her up into the air.

"I warned you," Maxie said as he set her down between the two volcano-like humps on his Camerupt's back despite her protests. "You'll only hold us up if you overwork yourself."

"I'm _fine_."

"Keep telling yourself that darling," he replied dryly as they started walking again. May huffed, leaning against the hump behind her and folded her arms over her chest. "Look, we won't be on the road much longer. As soon as we see a place to make camp we'll stop."

Indeed they were well into the evening now and dusk was rapidly approaching. She'd forgotten how much shorter the days were in Unova, especially with the winter months coming on. They needed to find a place to sleep before the night settled in and it became too dark and too cold to continue. May shivered; she didn't fancy a night out in the open when a frost was imminent. Maxie seemed to notice her shiver and put a hand on her knee. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes just a bit worried we'll have trouble finding somewhere to camp. The maps I have are rough at best and we haven't even gotten to the desert yet so we're at least another day's travel from Nimbasa by my reckoning."

"We'll be alright, there's bound to be a cave or a sheltered grove around here somewhere."

He removed his hand from her leg and May found herself missing the warmth.

Darkness was starting to settle heavily around them and May's concern grew until at last they rounded a corner and May's keen eyes picked out a shadow on the face of a large rocky hill. "There, I think I see a cave."

Maxie followed her gaze, squinting in the gloom for a few moments before finally nodding. "Damn, you've got good eyes."

"Maybe old age is finally catching up to you."

"Oh how you wound me so," he said, placing a hand over his heart as he feigned hurt. They came to the cave opening and found that while the entrance was narrow, it opened up to a larger cavern, making it perfect for the rag tag group to settle for the night. May was glad that she'd spent so much time on the road and had insisted on bringing a bundle of kindling and some larger hardwood logs that would burn through the night – she'd been caught without a fire and spent far too many nights cold and miserable to experience it again. Hephaestus made quick work of lighting the kindling and soon they had a small, but healthy little blaze burning. At Maxie's command the Camerupt hunkered down by the fireside and his trainer sat with his back to the fire-type's warm flank. He beckoned May over to him, but when she tried to sit down next to him he showed other ideas. Gently taking her hand he pulled her down so that she was sitting between his legs with her back against his chest while he spread the blanket they'd brought over her so that she was cocooned in warmth from the front and back. She was glad she was facing away from him because she felt her face heat up at the intimate seating arrangement. "There, you should be plenty warm tonight."

"My hero," she replied dryly, but made no protest when his arms encircled her waist. It _was_ delightfully warm which helped to sooth the fierce ache in her back and she found herself already falling into a doze knowing that he was there to watch her. She inhaled deeply and smiled at the smell of him – she'd discovered over the past week that he had a very distinctive scent; the combination smoke, pine and sandalwood were uniquely him and she found it oddly soothing, especially now that it surrounded her. "Do you want first watch or shall I?"

"I'll take first watch, you get some sleep."

She nodded and leaned back against him fully, listening to the sound of his heartbeat as it lulled her into a light slumber.

Maxie was amazed at how quickly May managed to fall asleep in his arms. He'd been worried at first, that he'd overstepped the delicate and rapidly disintegrating boundaries between them, but she'd settled herself down and happily started to doze against him. He was flattered really, that she felt comfortable enough to do so and was once again amazed at how much she trusted him. He wasn't deserving of it. Once he was sure she was soundly asleep he gave into compulsion and held her just a little closer, smiling guiltily as she sighed and unconsciously nuzzled against him. "Fool girl, what on earth are you doing to me?"

He was nearing a dozy state himself when Gabriel and Duncan both stirred simultaneously, ears perked as they lifted their heads and looked towards the cave entrance. Maxie didn't move, but felt his muscles tighten like a coiled spring, ready to move at the slightest provocation.

"Oh – oh I'm sorry I didn't realize someone was in here!"

"It's alright, come in. It's far too cold to be travelling out there tonight."

A young girl, fourteen or so perhaps, with curly brown hair and a Servine in her arms, stepped inside. She was dressed surprisingly light, though he supposed an Unovan native wouldn't find the cold as biting as he and May did being from a warmer region. He should've been wary, but something about this girl, the way her eyes, a bright and familiar shade of blue, shone with a good-natured light and a boldness that reminded him of the woman sleeping in his arms. She sat on the opposite side of the fire with a sheepish smile. "Thanks, I'm so sorry to intrude. I really misjudged how long it was going to take me to get to the desert from Castelia."

"Trouble on the road?"

"Yeah, actually. Ever hear of Team Plasma?"

"We had a rather...interesting run in with them earlier," Maxie replied with a grim smile. "What's your name?"

"Oh, I'm sorry how rude of me! I'm Hilda. Pleased to meet you."

"Maximilian Asher," he answered and felt May stir in his arms, having woken her with his introduction. She yawned and looked up at him blearily before she came to full wakefulness and noticed the stranger sitting across from here. "And this is May Maple."

"May Maple – wait you can't mean _the_ May Maple? Oh – oh wow, you were the Hoenn Champion right up until a few months ago right?"

"Yeah, yeah I was," May said, sitting up a little straighter. "I'm sorry I missed your name?"

"Hilda, I'm Hilda. Wow, it's just such an honour I mean – you're up in the record books for holding your title that long!"

"Thanks," May said, smiling at the girl. Maxie felt her relax against him now that she'd assessed that the newcomer was no threat. "So, starting your pokémon journey I take it."

"Yeah, well trying to anyway. Team Plasma has been a royal pain ever since I started this trip. It's a nightmare, but I can't just let them take peoples' pokémon. I don't care if they think they're helping them – it's not right, not when they hurt people in the process."

"That's very brave of you."

"Well – you did the same thing didn't you? With Team Magma back in Hoenn?" Hilda asked. May was silent at that and Maxie was hard pressed not to laugh at how red his companion's face was turning. When he realized she wouldn't likely be speaking again for a few moments he took pity and decided to spare her the explanation.

"Yes. She saved the region from my stupidity. Did it in a rather spectacular fashion too."

"What? Oh...oh!" The girl's eyes widened as she started to put two and two together and realized exactly who she was sitting across from. "Oh, sorry I uh – wow, this is awkward."

"You have no idea," May groaned and half-hid her face beneath the blanket. Maxie chuckled and forced it back down.

"It's fine."

"Oh no, noooo it's not."

"Hiding under the blanket is not helping you know."

"Says you."

"You're such a delight sometimes."

"Oh wait, I totally recognize you two!"

Now, that was unexpected. Maxie looked at her with a raised eyebrow and Hilda flushed under his gaze. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound creepy – I mean the two of you are pretty famous. I just meant that I've seen you before. In Castelia when the ship came in from Hoenn, I'm sure I saw the two of you down at the docks."

Maxie wasn't sure it was possible for May to turn any redder, but Groudon be damned she managed to find a way. He laughed, he couldn't help it really – bashful was not something often associated with May Maple and it was oddly endearing to see her so flustered. Forgetting himself for a moment he pressed a chaste kiss to her temple. "Fool girl."

"You know everything aside, you guys make a really great couple."

Damn, he kept forgetting Hilda was sitting on the other side of the fire. He cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter. "Thank you, but ah we're not a couple."

Azure eyes glittered gold with humour and firelight. "Sure."

"So – Team Plasma, what's your next move regarding them?" he said, quickly trying to change the topic. May was making strange sounds on front of him – a very odd combination of violent swearing and trying not to squeal as she tried to hide beneath the blanket again.

"Well I'm going to keep watching the road, see what I find. Still, beating grunts isn't getting me anywhere – I need to get to their leader."

"To kill the snake, cut off the head – er, pardon the metaphor," he said, apologizing when Hilda's Snivey gave him a rather hard look. "Do you have a name?"

"Ghetsis."

"Ghetsis? Ghetsis Harmonia?"

"Yeah, how did you know that name?" Hilda asked, looking genuinely surprised. May too, had stopped her fidgeting to listen, looking up at him curiously.

"Harmonia is an old name, one of the oldest...and a royal one at that," Maxie said. "The Ashers are an old name too, part of the old Kanto aristocracy. Old names and old money tend to know each other. The Harmonias are the among the highest of the old nobility, far above the old Kanto families in station, but certainly well known. If you intend to pursue them you'll have to be careful Hilda. The Harmonias are well know for more than just their status...there's a dark history there. Ghetsis is a dangerous man."

"Thanks for the warning. I can't stop fighting them, but I'll be careful."

"Well, let us give you our pokéNav numbers anyway," May suddenly interjected and pushed the blanket aside. Maxie smiled as she went to sit next to Hilda to give her their contact information. She'd seemed to recover from her moment of embarrassment and was now conversing with the younger woman with gusto. He suspected that May felt somewhat protective of the girl who was so much like her younger self. He leaned back against Hephaestus' side again and slowly started to drift into a doze, gazing fondly at his companion through the fire.

"So how the heck did you two end up travelling together?"

May rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, but smiled when she glanced over at Maxie and saw him sleeping against the side of his Camerupt. "That's a pretty funny story actually. No one had seen hide or hair of him in eight years and then we both happened to be on the ferry. We just – couldn't really avoid one another."

"Yeah, but I mean the whole Team Magma thing – how do you guys get along so well after all of that stuff?"

"I don't know to be honest. He's...different."

"He seems nice," Hilda said with a warm smile. "I think you two were supposed to meet on that ferry."

"Oh I don't know about that..."

"I saw you two at the docks. That was the most romantic thing I've ever seen!" Hilda giggled and May felt her face heat up again. She felt a bit like the old lion pushing down the young cub when she pulled the girl's cap down over her eyes.

"Easy there, have some respect for your elders," she huffed. Hilda laughed good-naturedly and pulled the hat away from her face.

"Sorry, I just mean – I can tell he really cares about you."

"I know. Everything aside, I'm glad we ran into each other on that boat. I can't imagine doing this journey without him."

"And it doesn't bother you? What happened in the past?"

"It did a bit at first admittedly," May answered. "But, I could see that he'd changed and well – he was never truly malicious towards me. Angry and spiteful sure, but he was never really evil at heart just a bit...misguided. I thought he deserved a second chance and...ah, I can't really explain it."

"It doesn't have to make sense," Hilda said with a broad smile as she unrolled her sleeping bag. "Thanks for giving me your number. I'll be sure to keep in touch."

"No problem. If you leave before we're up tomorrow good luck with everything. Hopefully we'll see you on the road at some point."

"Me too."

May smiled and bid the other girl goodnight before leaving her to settle in. She rounded the fire and sat back down next to him, pulling the blanket back across them both. She took a moment to give the Camerupt a good rub behind the ears, thanking him for his warmth before she curled into Maxie's side. She breathed in the scent of him again and smiled, slipping back into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

When May awoke the fire had burned low and the cold light of dawn was filtering in through the cave entrance. Hilda had gone, nothing left to signal she'd ever been there save from the two sets of footprints she'd left behind. May yawned and stretched, feeling Maxie groan beside her as he started to wake up. Feeling compulsive May turned and pressed her lips against his cheek.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"

"Just a thank you, for everything you've done for me," she said, brushing a stray lock of hair away from his face. "I'm glad you're with me."

"So am I," he said softly. "Come on, let's see if we can't make it across that desert today."

"...Maxie?"

"Yes?"

"Ah, never mind," she said and tried to rise, but a shooting pain in her lower back made her sit back down immediately with a grimace. "Oh – oh dear."

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Don't have a conniption on me! It's just my lower back. I must have hurt it worse than I realized yesterday...sleeping in a cave probably didn't help."

"All the more reason to get to Nimbasa as quickly as possible," Maxie said and easily hefted her up into his arms. He very carefully placed her on his Camerupt's back again and bid her sit still while he broke down the camp. May leaned back against Hephaestus' rear hump, closing her eyes and breathing deeply through her nose until the pain at being moved had subsided. She sincerely hoped it wasn't a slipped disk – that would be a very long and uncomfortable recovery, and would certainly throw a wrench into her travel plans. "May? May, look at me dear."

She opened her eyes and saw him looking up at her with a concerned expression. May smiled at him and patted the hand he'd settled on her thigh. "Sorry, I'm okay. Really, I'm fine."

"You're far from fine, I can't remember the last time you were willing to admit you needed help," he replied dryly, but she could see the anxiety bleeding through his attempt at humour. "You sure you'll be alright?"

"Yes, Hephaestus has a smooth gait – it'll be a lovely walk won't it?" she said and the large bovine grunted his agreement. Maxie didn't look particularly convinced, but he urged his pokémon into motion nonetheless, making sure his gait was smooth as to not jostle his injured cargo. It wasn't too bad once they got going, but once they reached the desert, despite the Camerupt's best efforts, he would stumble with the shifting sands and pain lanced through her spine and down her left leg. May bit her lip at one such instance to keep a whimper from slipping out, but the movement did not go unnoticed by her companion and he signalled Hephaestus to stop.

"May -"

"I'm fine!"

"If you were fine you wouldn't be wincing so much."

"And what do you suggest we do? There's nothing that can help me out here, all we can do is get to Nimbasa City and find a doctor there."

"I - " He cut himself off and May saw the distress on his face. She felt her chest tighten at knowing he was so worried, and about her no less. It was a far cry from the angry spectre that had haunted her nightmares as a child, that hate-filled figure of carmine and black. The man at her side now was no raging phantom, he was a man plain and simple...and a surprisingly caring one at that. May reached out, trying to touch him, but the best she could manage without hurting herself was brushing her fingers against the sleeve of his coat. He turned and caught her hand in his, allowing their fingers to interlace. "I don't like not being able to help you."

"Hey, stop beating yourself up about it. This isn't your fault."

"But -"

"Maxie please," she said, cutting him off in an odd parody of their conversation the day before when she'd wanted to go charging after Team Plasma. "You told me to stop with the hero complex, I'm telling you to stop your guilt complex. If this is some sort of penitence, please just stop."

He looked hurt by her words and for a moment she thought he was going to pull away but he didn't. Instead he moved closer. "May, I haven't stayed with you due to some sort of repentance on my part for what I've done. It may have started out that way, but it's certainly not the case anymore."

"Then why are you here?" she asked. Her mouth felt dry and it had nothing to do with the arid desert air around her. This question had been burning in her chest for days now. It still shocked her every time she woke up to find him still with her, and now that she was starting to get used to to seeing him every morning she was starting to become fearful of his eventual departure. His answering smile was wry, if a little sad.

"I've asked myself that more than a few times," he admitted and May felt her heart sink. "I have never been one to have many friends...but you May...I – it's been a long time since I've had a companion so dear to me."

"I – I - "

"And it bothers me that I can't help you."

It was suddenly very difficult to breathe as May tried to digest the information he'd just fed her. She'd been so afraid that he was only staying with her because he felt obligated, but he...May felt her face grow warm and was once again reminded of the thin line between them that they seemed so intent on flirting with. She was suddenly angry that her injury prevented her from moving because she wanted nothing more than to throw caution to the wind and wrap her arms around him. Sighing, she settled for slipping an arm around his neck and pulling him as close as she could so that he wouldn't see the way she was starting to tear up – that would only upset him more.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, rubbing her thumb against the back of his neck and swore she heard him sigh at the motion. "I am. I didn't mean to question your motives like that, I know you care."

"Come on then. The sooner we get to Nimbasa, the sooner we can get you help."

"Yeah, like I said!" she said brusquely, trying to hide her emotional state as he started to pull away. Before he could get all the way out of her reach she grinned. "Hey, wait a second."

"Wha -"

She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him forward catching him in a fleeting, but firm kiss before letting him go. He staggered back with a look of shock that quickly gave way to a broad smile.

One he wore all the way to Nimbasa City.


	4. Riptide

Island Wolf: Oh - oh no, this was never supposed to have a cohesive plot...dammit. Ah ha, yes apparently these are starting to form their own little continuity...oops. WELP it's now a thing so enjoy the next installment of this - well I don't know what to call it. Really I have nothing else to do when I'm feeling so crappy, but I suppose that's the price you pay when you go running downtown barefoot in the rain - don't judge me, my sandal broke and I was dying for some 3 AM poutine.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of course...except my delicious, delicious pulled pork poutine.

* * *

It was an absolute bloody nightmare.

The trek through the desert had been brutal and by it's ending May had been in excruciating pain, radiating down her lower limbs from the small of her back. She had barely been able to stand under her own power by the time they arrived in Nimbasa City and had made an immediate beeline for the nearest medical clinic. A quick examination by the physician and an MRI sometime later had confirmed the doctor's suspicions and May's worst fear – a lumbar disc herniation caused by having her feet pulled out so suddenly from under her and then falling on her lower back. It was a relatively mild one, the doctor had assured her, and she should heal fine on her own provided she didn't over exert herself in the near future. So, now here she was, on day two of bed rest and swallowing anti-inflammatory painkillers like they were going out of style to try and cope with the pain. She whimpered and pulled the blankets over her head –_ Christ, what a pitiful sight I must be._

"How are you feeling?"

Maxie's voice was low and quiet as he gently pulled the blankets away from her face. She grimaced as he smoothed the hair back away from her face and tried her best not to pout. "Like shit. I've had broken bones that hurt less than this."

"Word to the wise I can guarantee it doesn't hurt as much as being shot."

"If you're trying to make me humble enough to stop complaining you are sorely mistaken my friend."

He chuckled at that and pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead, making her glad that most of the lights were off so that he couldn't see how deeply she was blushing. His hand moved from her hair to settle on her collarbone, rubbing his thumb along the bone in a soothing motion as he slid his other hand beneath her lower back. The doctor had given him a brief lesson in how to tell if the muscles in her back were in spasm and he'd taken it upon himself to check any time the pain became particularly intense. It also let him note if the tissue was still inflamed by how much heat was radiating off of her skin. It was a strange feeling having his hand slide up beneath her shirt – skin to skin contact was so intimate by nature and it tended to either make her brain stall completely, or have it running a mile a minute into some very dangerous territory.

"You're taking your sweet time," she quipped, trying to prevent her mind from wandering. "Admit it you just like the chance to feel me up."

"Maybe I do," he fired back as he traced the length of her spine and hiking her tank top up dangerously high. Her retort died in her throat, turning into a high-pitched squeak that made him laugh as he pulled away.

"You're awful."

"Hmm yes, but it's entirely your fault."

"Come on, I'm the one who's injured here – where's the sympathy?"

"That may have gone out the window when you threw your pill bottle at me and called me a, oh what was it now, an 'immeasurable, egotistical, pompous bastard'"

"...In my defence I was delirious with pain...and you _are_ a bit of a bastard."

"Not helping yourself," he said with a grin as he sat down on his bed to finish reading the daily paper that had been delivered to their room. May huffed and settled back down into the mattress. Ever since arriving in Nimbasa City she'd been forced to rely on him rather heavily just to get around. She didn't know which had been more embarrassing, the look the desk clerk had given them upon seeing him _carrying_ her into the hotel, or the coos of congratulations an elderly woman had given them for the entire duration of the elevator ride. Maxie, feeling apparently mischievous, had decided to play along with all of it. May had been grateful when they reached their floor – the old woman had starting talking about babies and she had felt her brain starting to melt. Once she could walk properly again she was going to get him back for that. After a few minutes he glanced at her, his eyes significantly softer than before. It made her feel curiously warm and she was hard pressed not to blush again under his gaze. "Let me know if it gets that bad again though please."

She looked at him and smiled, all plans of vengeance abruptly fleeing her mind. "I will."

"You ought to get some sleep you know. If you're feeling up to it in the morning we'll go out for breakfast."

"Sounds lovely, but if I'm not well enough?"

His grin both excited and worried her. "Oh I'll figure something out."

May rolled her eyes as he returned to his newspaper and she tried to get herself in a position comfortable enough to sleep. At least the painkillers had a tendency to make her drowsy so it wasn't long before she was yawning and the room began drifting out of focus as she drifted into a doze.

When Maxie heard a soft snore from the other bed he smiled to himself and set down his newspaper. A glance to his left saw May sleeping soundly now that the painkillers had finally kicked in. The poor girl really had gotten herself into quite a state – it wasn't often the hero of Hoenn had to swallow her pride and let her former nemesis carry her over the threshold as it were. He was hard pressed not to laugh at the memory of the elevator ride to their room on that first night in the city. Her wrath would be terrible no doubt, when she was able to move under her own power again, but whatever revenge she unleashed on him that moment he'd rendered May Maple truly and utter speechless was well worth it.

He glanced at the sleeping young woman again and felt his smile falter somewhat. It had been far too easy to pretend that she was indeed his blushing bride and that was...concerning. They'd been flirting with that delicate boundary between them very frequently in the past two weeks and that line in the sand was rapidly becoming blurred. Maxie rose and crossed the room, standing by May's bedside. Her smoky brown hair was spread in a messy halo around her head, one lock stretched over her pale face. Compulsively he brushed it aside and took a moment to study the delicate features it had hidden. She'd always been a small and slight individual, and time hadn't changed that very much. She'd gained a few inches in height, filled out a little in her hips and her face had become thinner and more mature, but the feature that had changed the most were her eyes. Those azure orbs that had blazed so brightly behind a haze of smoke and embers were still that same breathtaking shade of blue, but they seemed deeper somehow, burning with an entirely different kind of fire than they had years ago. She hardly seemed real sometimes, this vision of light and strength that had materialized back into his life like some fae thing.

When had she grown up into such a beautiful woman?

...A beautiful woman who had entirely too much power over him.

It was troubling really, how much he cared about her. He was quickly realizing that there wasn't much he _wouldn't_ do for her, and her smiles – he'd started craving them like a drug. He'd do anything to have her smile at him and see those blue eyes dance with their otherworldly light and he was starting to think that maybe, just maybe she was starting to feel just a bit fond of him. That in itself was troubling. May Maple was a goddamned hero, a Champion, a paragon – certainly not the type to become involved with jaded and bitter old men like him.

He dragged a hand over his face with a soft groan before snatching up his coat and putting it on. Gabriel looked at him questioningly from the foot of May's bed.

"I'll be back later. Watch her while I'm gone."

The Mightyena nodded his head once before laying back down and letting Maxie take his leave. It was just past midnight and there was a bitter chill in the air, but Nimbasa City was far from asleep. Lights glittered brightly in the cold night air and the city centre was aglow with streetlamps and skylights from the skyscrapers and large buildings that surrounded it. He walked until he came to the town square, marked by a set of three extravagant and immaculately carved white marble fountains displaying a variety of mythical and legendary pokémon surrounded by nymphs and sprites of all kinds. They really were works of art, lit up beautifully by lights both beneath the shimmering waters and around the stone lips of the basins. Around them buskers and performers practised their craft, hoping to earn a few extra dollars before the night ended.

Maxie reached into his pocket and pulled out a carton of cigarettes, placing one between his lips before lighting it. He'd been careful to hide the habit from his companion, but on a night like tonight when his thoughts ran wild and gnawed at him relentlessly, he needed it. He stared at one of the statues, a water nymph frozen in dance beneath one of Lugia's outstretched wings, but when her ethereal features started to remind him of May he wrinkled his nose in distaste and exhaled smoke like a dragon. Quickly finishing the cigarette he flicked the butt onto the concrete and ground it out with the heel of his shoe. What on earth was he going to do...

He started walking again, away from the brightly lit square and towards the darker side streets, turning up the collar of his coat against the cold. By rights he should leave, disappear and leave her to be free of him and continue on her journey alone as she'd originally planned, but just the thought sent an almost physical pain lancing through his chest. He'd been alone for eight years until she'd found him on the deck of that ship, strange fateful creature that she was, and made him laugh more than he had in the last decade.

"There."

Maxie felt the hair on the nape of his neck stand up as every survival instinct he possessed started ringing alarm bells in his head, but he kept walking, not allowing his gait to falter. Glancing into the side window of a parked car he confirmed his suspicions when he noted two men in dark clothing tailing him. Putting his hands in his pockets Maxie smiled grimly to himself. Team Plasma no doubt. Ghetsis was likely not pleased at his and May's show of force on the road and had sent someone to take care of the problem. Well, if that was the case he would lead them on a merry chase.

He casually took a turn down another side street, using the opportunity to glance back at his tail and was suddenly aware that there was only one man following him now. Maxie turned away and furrowed his brow – why would they have split unless...

Fear hit him like a blow to the gut. They had noted that he was alone, which meant they had probably and rightly assumed that May was also alone and in her condition she would stand no chance. The other man must have broken away to circle back to the hotel – if his companion failed to dispose of one target they at least had a chance of taking out the other. He felt his hands start to shake from the terrible rage he felt burning in his chest. Oh, they would regret this.

Maxie broke out into a run down a darkened street and the ducked swiftly into a side alley, listening as the running footsteps behind him grew closer. Just before the grunt was about to pass he stepped out of the alleyway and brought his arm up. The man tailing him slammed into the outstretched limb with such force that his legs came out from underneath him and he went crashing down to the pavement. He'd barely hit the ground before Maxie seized him by the collar and dragged him upright, slamming him against the alley wall as he hissed. "Alright you sack of filth, who sent you!"

The grunt sneered and Maxie saw him preparing to spit so he abruptly threw him down and put his foot on the back of the man's neck, pressing down mercilessly. "I asked you a question and you will answer it unless you want to protect your master with your life. Are you with Team Plasma?"

"Y-Yes!"

"Where did you partner go?" When he received no answer he grabbed hold of the man's right arm and started to pull in backwards. There was a loud pop and the man screamed. "Where did he go!"

"To - to the hotel! Please, please let m-me go! I'll do anything!"

"You can crawl back to Ghetsis and tell him that if he pulls a stunt like this again, I will bury him with my own hand! Do you understand?"

"Y-Yes, God yes just p-please!"

Sneering, Maxie let him go and dealt him a swift blow on the back of the neck that knocked him out cold. He left the grunt lying face down in the alley and started sprinting back towards the hotel, praying that he wasn't too late.

* * *

May wasn't sure what had woken her up, but she did so with a start and sat up despite the pain rippling through her lower back. She looked around the room groggily, feeling ill at ease and just knowing that things were not as they should have been. A look to her right saw that the bed was empty – in fact there was no sign of Maxie in the room and his coat was missing. Almost immediately a lump formed in her throat and she threw back the covers with a barely contained sob. Gabriel whined at being disturbed and barked, trying to get her attention, but she ignored the fussing canine as she scrabbled to turn on the light. She could barely see through the tears starting to build up in her eyes as she struggled to put on her boots find her coat, completely disregarding any and all pain as she did so. All she knew was that she had to find out where he'd gone, because something deep in her psyche told her that things were terribly amiss.

An odd clicking sound at the door made her freeze and Gabriel immediately stopped his whining, instead jumping down from the bed with flattened ears and a growl rumbling deep in his throat. Cautiously, she edged towards the door and tried to look through the peep hole. Without warning the door was flung open, knocking both her and Gabriel to the ground. Pain exploded in her lower back with such intensity that black spots danced across her vision. When it finally cleared she looked up and saw a man, darkly dressed and hooded, looming above her with a switchblade in his gloved hand. He leered at her, baring crooked and yellowed teeth.

"Hello there gorgeous. It's going to be a real shame to carve up that pretty face of yours, but orders are orders. If you hold still, I can make a quick job of it – you won't feel much I promise."

Paralysed by pain and fear there was little she could do as he started leaning down towards her. Gabriel shook off his daze and leapt in front of her, baring his teeth and snarling savagely. The man sneered and brandished his knife menacingly. "Back off mutt or I'll open you up from gut to jaws."

The Mightyena was not cowed in the slightest and snapped his jaws fiercely. The man rolled his eyes and huffed a sigh, then moving quicker than May would have that possible, darted in. His knife flashed and she heard a yelp before something warm and wet splattered against her face. Reflexively her tongue darted out to clean her lips and she tasted salt and copper as Gabriel fell back with a deep knife wound over the red ruin of his left eye. Half blind with blood streaming down his face the canine could do little between his whines and snarls as the man started leaning down towards his trainer again. A scream bubbled up in May's throat, but just as the man's reddened switchblade brushed against her cheek he was suddenly and violently pulled backwards.

Maxie was standing at the doorway with a look of cold fury on his face that sent a chill running down her spine. The man with the knife cursed and rolled back onto his feet, slashing out with his blade as he did so. Maxie nimbly dodged it and managed to plant a solid right hook to the man's jaw, sending him staggering with a crunch and a spray of blood. Using the man's daze to his advantage Maxie grabbed his wrist and twisted until he dropped the knife. Losing his weapon only seemed to anger the would-be-assassin and he managed to bring his knee up into Maxie's side, winding him and forcing him to let go.

Maxie snarled and immediately gave chase as the assailant ran into the stairwell, trying to head to a lower level, but he seized the back of his coat and pulled him back. The man spat and twisted out of his grasp, shoving past him to the stairs leading up towards the higher floors and the roof. Maxie bared his teeth in a savage grin – perfect, there'd be nowhere to run. He heard the bang as his quarry shouldered open the rooftop access door and took the last few steps three at a time, trying to catch up. He emerged onto the rooftop, but the man was nowhere to be seen.

"Dammit, where'd he -"

An arm curled around his throat and quickly started choking off his air supply while putting pressure on his carotid artery. For a moment Maxie almost gave in to the blackness encroaching around the edges of his vision, but like a switch memories of his days as a cadet in training came rushing back and he stepped into the mindset of a soldier again. Using his greater stature Maxie pushed back, forcing his attacker to slam into the door frame of the rooftop access. The choke hold loosened and he managed to twist free, grabbing the man's arm and flipping him over his shoulder as he did so. Still dogged as ever the man rolled back onto his feet and brought his leg up to land a blow to his solar plexus. Winded, Maxie staggered back and dropped down onto one knee. Struggling for air there was little he could do but watch was the man vaulted over the side of the rooftop and down onto the fire-escape. Pulling himself back onto his feet he ran to edge of the roof and swore when he saw that his foe was already nearing the bottom – by the time he gave pursuit he would be long gone.

He turned and was shocked to find May standing at the doorway, her face and pyjamas still covered in blood.

"May," he said hoarsely, wincing at the soreness in his neck and throat. When she heard him speak the tears that had threatened to spill started to roll down her cheeks. He abruptly forgot about the man fleeing down the road and walked over to her. Shrugging off his coat he draped it around her shaking shoulders and pulled her close. "Shh, it's alright. Look at me May, you're alright lass."

"G-Gabe he's hurt and you -" she sobbed into his chest, pale and shaking from shock. "I don't know what to – I don't -"

He felt her legs start to give out before he heard her pained gasp and quickly gathered her up into his arms. She clung to him desperately as he carried her. "There you go, stay with me now. It's going to be alright, I promise."

* * *

Maxie grimaced, the fluorescent lights of the police station were starting to give him a headache.

They'd been there for nearly two hours now. Once the hotel had realized what was going on they'd immediately sent for the police and an ambulance. With Gabriel in the capable hands of the nearest pokémon centre and the paramedics giving both he and May the all clear, the police had insisted on dragging them down to the station to get formal statements from the both of them. Maxie had agreed, albeit reluctantly – their room was now a crime scene and it would be a little while before the hotel could provide them with another one. Still, with his record he wasn't fond of being anywhere near persons of legal authority. His agitation had increased ten fold when the Inspector in charge, a man who insisted on simply being addressed as 'Looker' had ordered them to be separated to give their own personal statements. He was not fond of leaving May, just barely recovering from the shock of the entire situation, in the hands of strangers but there was little he could do.

So, here he was in said Inspector's office quietly hoping that he didn't end up in handcuff's before dawn.

"Sorry for the delay, your companion had a great deal of information that I needed," the policeman said as he stepped inside the office and closed the door behind him. He took a seat behind his desk, opposite to Maxie and laced his fingers together. There was a knowing sort of look in the man's dark eyes and it immediately set Maxie on edge. "Now I just need your sentence to corroborate her story and the pair of you can be on your way. Please state your name for the record."

Ah, this was what he'd been fearing all night. His name might not have been all that well known to Unova's general populace, but the police force would certainly have heard of him. Still, there was little point in lying – he had a feeling this 'Looker' fellow was already well aware of just who was sitting across from him. "...Maximilian Asher."

"I appreciate the honesty," Looker said, jotting the name down on a form in the open dossier on his desk. "Now, were it up to me I would have you arrested right here and now, but as you are a Hoenn citizen extraditing you would require more paperwork than I am currently willing to put in with the current state of affairs right here in Unova...and the testimony of a former Champion didn't hurt. Besides, your testimony will be quite valuable when I finally get my hands on the ring leaders behind Team Plasma. I've been after them for quite some time."

"Then what is it that you want to know exactly?"

"We need to go back to your first run in with Team Plasma. You and Miss Maple were on the road between Castelia and Nimbasa correct?"

"Yes. We encountered two men who demanded we release our pokémon, when they refused they attacked."

"And that is when Miss Maple sustained the injury to her back?"

"Yes. One of the men had a whip and used it to pull her to the ground. The fall is what caused the injury."

"Alright, now looking at the events of this evening. I need you to start at the beginning."

"I left the hotel room just after midnight to go for a walk."

"Any particular reason for this sudden outing?"

"No," Maxie replied tersely. "I left the city centre and started towards the industrial side streets, I noticed two men tailing me. I decided to handle the situation."

"Handle it how, exactly?"

"First I tried to lose them, but then I noticed that one of them had split off...I presumed he would be heading to the hotel."

"And what happened to the other man?"

"I...incapacitated him. I asked him who he worked for, he confirmed that they were sent by Team Plasma."

"And they were specifically targeting the two of you?"

"Yes, presumably for our show of force on the road."

"What happened next?"

"I returned to the hotel and found the second man in mine and Miss Maple's room. He was threatening her with a knife. I pulled him out into the hall way, we fought and I disarmed him."

"And after you disarmed him, what did he do?"

"He ran to the stairwell, trying to get to the lower floors, but I pulled him back and blocked off the lower stairs."

"Which left him no where else to go but the roof."

"Yes. I pursued him, there was another fight, but I was overpowered and he managed to climb down the fire-escape. That's the last we saw of him."

"Hmm...alright I think I have all I need. You have confirmed Miss Maple's version of events and therefore I have no more reason to keep you here," the Inspector said, jotting down a few more notes before closing the dossier. "A word to the wise. I would try and leave Unova as soon as possible. Once Team Plasma targets people they have a habit of...disappearing. You're lucky they underestimated your competence, but they won't do so again."

"I would love to take your advice Inspector, but I doubt Miss Maple will be willing to leave."

"Oh?"

"You try telling a hero not to rush in...besides, there are people here she would like to ensure stay safe."

"I see," Looker mused. "Well, in any case I hope you'll continue to look after each other. If you find out any more information regarding Team Plasma's movements please inform me. Miss Maple is in the waiting room, you're both free to go."

Maxie gave the Inspector a curt nod and left the office, navigating the narrow hallways until he came to the open waiting room. May was sitting down in one of the chairs, a cup of coffee cradled in her hands. Her face was pale and drawn, the dark purple smudges beneath her eyes a testament to just how late it had gotten. He called to her softly. "May?"

Her relief was palpable when she saw him and set aside her coffee. He came forward and helped her to her feet, trying to take most of her weight so she could avoid straining her back more than it already had been tonight. He held her close and used one hand to smooth down her hair. "Any word on Gabriel?"

"I called the pokémon centre a little while ago, he's stable and doing fine. His eye is a lost cause though," she sniffed. "I was so worried about you. You wouldn't believe what I had to say to convince that Inspector not to arrest you!"

"Well I'm grateful for it in any case. Come on, let's get back to the hotel. You need to get some sleep."

May nodded drowsily and allowed him to lead her out of the police station where he hailed a cab and helped her inside before getting in after her. "Sheridan Hotel," he instructed the cab driver quietly, wrapping his arm around May's shoulders as she leaned into him. The cabbie, an older gentleman, glanced at them in the rear-view mirror.

"Rough night?"

"You have no idea."

* * *

Fate was being unnecessarily cruel, May decided when they arrived back at the hotel. She struggled to keep upright against the pain throbbing in her lower back, leaning heavily on Maxie's arm. He looked almost as exhausted as she felt as he argued with the desk clerk. Apparently the only rooms left in the hotel had only one bed. The clerk had said the hotel would gladly put them up, but that was all that they had available.

"That's fine, we'll take it."

Maxie looked at her with a mixture of surprise and apprehension. "May -"

"It's fine," she repeated, ignoring him and giving the hapless clerk a reassuring smile. "Something with a queen hopefully?"

"Of course Miss...ah here, room 503. Here are your key cards, we'll have your belongings sent up immediately. Again, on behalf of the hotel we want to extend our deepest apologies for what happened here tonight and rest assured our security has been tightened considerably. I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful in finding a suitable replacement room for you."

"We'll be alright. Thank you very much for your help, it's appreciated," she said, accepting the two plastic key cards. She shifted her weight from one foot to another and cringed at the pain that shot down her leg. She looked at Maxie imploringly and felt her face heat up as she did so. "Ah, would you mind? I don't think I'm going to be able to walk much further."

His coffee dark eyes softened and she suddenly found it hard to hold his gaze as he nodded and kept on arm on her back and very carefully slid the other behind the crook of her knees so he could carry her. She felt herself blush and did her damnedest not to look at the clerk as they headed for the elevator. The steel doors slid shut and she rested her head against his chest. "Maxie...you saved me tonight...thank you."

"May I'm so sorry I wasn't there in the first place," he said morosely. "If I had been -"

"Then there would have been two of them there at the same time and we probably would have come off worse than we did," she said, cutting him off. She looked up at the purple bruises forming on his throat from where he'd been placed in a choke-hold and sighed. "I – I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up when you did. I was absolutely useless...bah, some Champion."

"May you're being far too hard on yourself. You've never had to be faced with this kind of thing before. I'm sure you recall, but none of us ever tried to hurt you."

"I - I suppose," she muttered. "I just wish I'd been more useful, maybe you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"I'm fine, I'm just glad I got there in time," he said quietly and May swore she heard his voice tremble. The elevator chimed softly and came to a halt at the fifth floor. Maxie carried her down the hall, stopping at the door marked 503. May pulled out of one the key cards and used it to open the door. The room really was lovely, a slight upgrade from their previous suite it would seem. It was fantastic aside from the single queen-sized bed, so pristine and white it seemed almost mocking as he laid her down on it. She closed her eyes as the pain gradually started to ebb away. When she opened the again she saw that Maxie had removed his coat and was settling down into the desk chair, leaning back as he prepared to fall asleep.

"Oh no you don't mister, get over here."

"What?"

"Why do you think I asked for a queen? Get in this bed!"

"May I hardly think it appropriate -"

"Appropriate? Maxie someone tried to kill us tonight, _you saved my life_. Appropriate has pretty much been thrown out the window. Now get over here!"

"But -"

"_Please_."

"I – oh alright," he grumbled and carefully eased himself down onto the bed beside her, still looking wary. May rolled her eyes and moved closer to him until she could rest her head on his chest. She sighed softly, listening to his hard beating hard behind his ribs.

"You okay? Your heart's going a mile a minute."

"Yes, I'm fine," he replied quickly. "How is your back?"

"Hurts like a son of a bitch. That second fall did not help."

"I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing," she sighed. "It wasn't your fault. Now, if you're still feeling sorry for yourself you can put your hand up my shirt again."

His splutter of surprise made her laugh and she splayed a hand across his chest to steady herself as she dissolved into a fit of giggles. "Y-you should s-see your face, p-priceless!"

"Now you just aren't playing fair," he huffed. He maintain a feigned expression of annoyance until she leaned up and gently pressed a kiss to his cheek. It was different than the fleeting, playful pecks she'd given him in the past. Blaming it on her fatigue May let her affection bleed through and made this kiss soft and lingering. He inhaled sharply, "May..."

"I was scared when I woke up and you weren't there," she said quietly. "I thought you'd left and...I didn't know if you were coming back. That really scared me."

"May I'm not going to leave you, not unless you want me to."

"Than you're going to be sticking around for quite a while."

"That's just fine by me," he chuckled as she nestled herself more firmly into his side. They lapsed into silence and May breathed in deep, taking in his scent. She listened as his breathing evened out and deepened as he started to fall asleep. Taking advantage of the rare opportunity she looked up and studied his sleeping face. People were always supposed to look younger when they slept, but May decided that wasn't quite right. Maxie didn't look younger per se, just less worried and less burdened than he was in the waking world. A fiery wing of hair fell across his pale brow and she gently swept it back with a soft sigh.

"You really are a bastard," she grumbled and laid her head down on his chest. "How dare you make me feel this way."

Of course he was asleep and she received no answer, but if he were awake she imagined it would be dripping with sarcasm and that made her smile. Huffing a laugh she closed her eyes. "I really think I'm starting to love you, you know...now isn't that a funny little thing."


	5. High Stakes

Island Wolf: I'm sorry, I couldn't resist making another oneshot. Fret not though, I haven't forgotten about No Man's Land! I'm working on the next chapter as we speak, I just want to take my time with this one. I was rather disappointed with myself regarding the last two chapters of NML so I'm taking care with this one. Writing these little blurbs is great exercise and I can feel the writing mojo coming back to me :) This one's short, but sweet - at least in my opinion it is haha.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot yadda, yadda

* * *

"Come on Maxie, get up!"

"Since when are you such a morning person?"

"Since I've been cooped up in this bloody room for a full _week_," May fired back as she pulled the covers back to reveal her very disgruntled companion. Maxie glared at her before draping an arm over his eyes to block out the light, stubbornly trying to ignore her. She rolled her eyes and jumped onto the bed, settling on her knees next to him. "Maxie, come on I'm finally well enough to be up and about, don't be so selfish."

When she received a noncommittal grunt for all her efforts she heaved a sigh and laid both hands on his bare torso, giving him a healthy shove. He rolled off of the bed with an undignified yelp, falling into a heap on the floor in a tangle of limbs and bedsheets. Smirking, May laid down on her stomach, peering over the edge of their bed at the fuming man on the floor. "Oh don't go giving me that look, you should know better by now."

"Was that really called for?" he grumbled, trying to disentangle himself from the bed clothes.

"Absolutely."

"Fine, may I shower at least, or do you intend to drag me through the lobby in nothing but my skivvies?"

"Oh no, that's a view only I get to enjoy," she replied with an impish grin. The gleam in his eye was positively wicked as he rose and rolled her over onto her back. Placing both hands on either side of her head he leaned down until their noses were almost touching. For a moment she thought he was going to kiss her and the breath caught in her throat, but he only laughed and put one of the pillows over her face before disappearing into the bathroom. May half sighed, half laughed as she pulled it off and listened to the water running. She closed her eyes, letting her head hang over the edge of the bed. Something warm and wet touched her nose and she found herself looking into the one-eyed gaze of her Mightyena. The canine had taken his wound well and had adjusted to his lack of vision on his left side quite rapidly, taking it all in stride. His resilience had made dealing with the whole affair much easier. Admittedly, she'd been afraid for the first few days after the attack, but no repercussions had come and she'd felt soothed that Maxie was there to watch her back. She smiled and scratched Gabriel behind the ears, earning her a long crooning growl for her efforts. "Hello sweetheart. You must think we're a very silly pair of humans don't you?"

The Mightyena barked his agreement and May chuckled. The past week had been...interesting to say the least. They had continued to share the bed despite the fact that other double rooms had opened up in the hotel, becoming quite comfortable being so close to one another. It had come to the point where she found it disquieting _not_ to have him to curl up to at night. May blushed a little at the thought. They had come so close to broaching that sacred line of friendship, so many times – it was driving her a bit mad to be honest. She didn't even bother denying it anymore; she was attracted, _very_ attracted to Maximilian Asher, a man who'd nearly brought an entire nation to ruin, who'd haunted her as a child, who -

"So, what exactly did you have in mind for today?"

she really wanted to jump apparently.

May bit her lip to hold back her frustrated groan. Really, she just wanted to rip the towel away and do unspeakable things to that man. Clearing her throat she sat back up in an attempt to keep her composure. It was hard with him smirking at her like that, as if he _knew_ what perfectly naughty thoughts were running through her head. "A walk for starters, I haven't seen any of this city yet."

"And afterwards?" he asked as he picked up a black button down shirt and a pair of charcoal slacks before returning to the bathroom. "What about dinner?"

"I was thinking we'd try the hotel restaurant, then we can find a nice pub somewhere and I can destroy your sorry ass at pool."

"Is that so? And why would I agree to, ah get destroyed as you so eloquently phrased it?"

"Maximilian, yellow is simply not your colour. We could make it interesting."

"I'm listening."

"If I win, I want you to battle me," she said. "Every time I've asked so far you've refused, if I beat you we have a real battle, all in and no holding back."

"Fine, and if I win?"

"Name your stakes."

He was grinning as he stepped out of the bathroom, just finishing with the buttons of his shirt. "Hm, are there any restrictions?"

"Only your imagination."

"Then I think I'll keep my request a surprise...unless that unnerves you so Miss Maple."

"You're on dear, I hope your pokémon are up for a workout."

"Ah, ah, you have to win first."

May laughed and snatched up a heavy sweater as she rolled off of the bed, tugging it over her head as Maxie slipped on his overcoat. Arm in arm they descended the elevator to the hotel lobby and out into the streets of Nimbasa. The city was beautiful bathed in morning light, glass and iron all shining in the light of an autumn sun. The streets were a hub of activity, nearly as much as Castelia had been though the crowds were of a different sort. Where the city of skyscrapers had been a sea of business people and darkly clad city slickers, Nimbasa was far more colourful with groups of tourists and travelling trainers milling through the winding streets. Many were headed towards the ferris-wheel that marked the amusement park that dominated the east end of the city while more still headed towards the musical theatre, gym and other attractions that made Nimbasa such a wonderful amalgamation of light and sound.

They walked in no particular direction, passing through the city centre with its three massive white marble fountains, the aquamarine waters shimmering and splintering in the sunlight as they swirled around the statues. May paused in front of the one on the far side of the plaza, smiling at the carved image of Hoenn's three titans. Kyogre was mid leap out of the water basin, jaws open wide as it faced down Groudon who stood in the centre on a marble slab, frozen in a savage roar. Rayquaza curled around them both, the sky serpent lording above them with a regal expression, silent and intimidating as he maintained the balance. It was uncanny, how similar it was to the scene that had played out before the both of them just eight years past. May gazed at Groudon's carved face and smiled softly. Of all the weather trio she'd always been closest to him after facing them each in turn. Kyogre had simply vanished into the deep upon calming its fury and Rayquaza had regarded her coolly, giving her a brief nod of acknowledgement before disappearing back into the upper atmosphere. Groudon, however, had stayed and hailed her a true hero, thanking her in the strange ways a near-god did before returning to the depths of the Cave of Origins to sleep again once more.

"May?"

"Hm? Oh sorry, I was lost in thought there for a moment," she said, snapping out of her reverie. Maxie frowned and looked like he wanted to say something, but seemed to think better of it and they continued their walk through the city. They fell into a comfortable silence, though May could still sense the melancholy that had settled onto Maxie's shoulders. She guided him to a bench, not all that far from the amusement park and placed a hand on his shoulder as they sat down. "Maxie, are you alright? You've been off ever since we left the town square."

"Yes, yes I'm fine."

"Maximilian, please don't lie to me."

The use of his full name seemed to cause a break in his cheerful facade and he sighed ruefully. "I'm sorry. When you were looking at the fountain I – I suppose I was reminded again, of what you had to go through."

"It's alright Maxie, everything worked out in the end."

"Yes, but a child should not have to pay for the sins of men who should have known better."

"Foolish man," she chided softly, placing her fingers against his jaw to force him to look at her when he tried to turn away. "If I could go back and change everything, I wouldn't, not for the world. As scared as I was, as hard as it ever got, it made me into the person I am today, a person I am proud of..and I'm very happy I ended up here with you. If none of that had ever happened, we never would have met – and that is something I can't bear to think about."

His smile was so gentle as he leaned into her touch that it made her want to cry. She had meant every word – the thought of never getting to see this side of him, never getting to really know Maximilian Asher was an anguishing one. He'd once been a raging phantom, colouring her childhood memories crimson with his presence, but now sitting before her he was just a man; a man with a rapier wit and a wicked sense of humour to match, a man with a debonair smile and an excellent taste in liquor, a man who made her feel more alive than she had in _years_.

Looking back on it, that was the first time she realized that she was well and truly in love with him.

Maxie pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead as he often did nowadays before rising, holding out his hand to help her up. "Come on, let's see about that dinner."

* * *

"May, you're sure you're feeling up to this?"

"Trying to chicken out?"

"Oh no, I just wanted to give you the opportunity to bow out gracefully," he replied with a devilish smirk, though inside he was an absolute mess. Today had thrown him off completely. He'd tried his best to ignore it, but there was no denying it – May Maple was going to drive him _mad_. Every time she'd looked at him today, given him those sweet and simple smiles he felt his chest tighten and his heart flutter like he was a green boy of eighteen again catching the eye of a pretty girl across the room. When they'd sat down on the bench and she'd touched his face so lovingly he'd nearly kissed her right there and then. Now here she was dressed in that same scintillating outfit she'd worn that first night they'd met on the promenade deck for a drink and he wanted nothing more than to pull her close and show her just how much he'd come to care for her. They'd been flirting that damn line between them for almost three weeks now – something had to give soon. He resisted the urge to sigh. He'd never intended for this to happen, never meant to allow this slip of a girl turned woman back into his life, but in typical May fashion she'd come charging in with all of her wonderful fury and fire. Really, what chance did his poor heart have against a woman who could tame titans?

Arm in arm as always they stepped into a pub that the desk clerk had recommended to May upon their return to the hotel. Maxie frowned at the memory. He'd been hard pressed not to glare at the young man who'd been a little too friendly in his opinion, but he'd managed to keep himself composed and chided himself for being so possessive. He took a deep breath and tried to keep up that composure now as May went to the bar to order drinks while he racked up the pool table in the back corner. It was a moderate sized establishment with quite a few patrons despite it being still relatively early in the week, but it was a lively and comfortable energy and he felt slightly more at ease than when they'd first walked in. May soon returned, a scotch in one hand and a whisky sour in the other. She passed him the scotch and accepted a pool cue with an excited grin. "Ready to get beaten by a girl, _again_?"

"Don't count your Torchics before they hatch dear. Would you like to break or shall I?"

"Be my guest."

He nodded and took a swallow of his drink before setting down the cue ball to line up his shot. He turned to her again, giving her a wink before he took the shot. There was a loud crack as the cue ball struck the apex of the triangular group of pool balls and the split apart. The number ten found its way to the left corner pocket. "Looks like I'm stripes."

"Good, I always have better luck with solids anyway," May fired back saucily as she leaned against the wall and watched him line up his next shot. The number thirteen quickly joined its fellow in the pocket, but May's smile never faltered as she watched him over the rim of her glass. Was she really so confident that she could best him? "You're taking your sweet time, what's wrong? Leaning over the table to hard on your poor old back?"

Oh, he would have to teach her a lesson.

He managed to sink two more shots before it was finally her turn and they swapped places. Leaning against the wall where she'd been standing he took another swallow of his drink and nearly choked trying not to laugh when May leaned down to line up her first shot. The loose draped neckline of her shirt certainly offered a _spectacular_ view. His amusement only grew when she proceeded to sink three balls in quick succession, pausing only to take a sip of her drink. She was pulling out all the stops – it had been a long time since she'd blatantly challenged him. There may not have been pokémon and a volcanic battlefield this time, but he saw that old determined spark flare in the azure depths of her eyes and it delighted him. Two more solid coloured balls joined their sunken brethren before she handed him back the pool cue with a smirk. "Hope your pokémon are up for some exercise."

"Oh Miss Maple, I have not yet begun to fight," he retorted gamely. The back and forth continued, neither of them gaining much by way of a lead over the other until only the eight ball remained and it was May's shot. Her eyes narrowed like a wary predator as she scanned the table, looking for a viable angle of attack but there was little by way of options. With a huff she rapped her cue against the left side pocket and lined herself up with the cue ball. Maxie watched over the rim as his glass as she took the shot. The cue hit the eight ball, knocking it into the side of the table to ricochet off of the other side and towards the called pocket. Everything was lined up perfectly, but May had made a crucial mistake – she hadn't put quite enough force behind the shot and the eight ball stopped just shy of the pocket. May's calm demeanour swiftly vanished an she swore with such vehemence that several other patrons in the bar turned to look at her, some with shock while others simply looked impressed at the colourful string of language. With a sigh she handed him the pool cue. He accepted with a grin and lined up what was now an easy shot. "Left side pocket."

"Surprise, surprise,"

"Now, now May," he chuckled and deftly sunk the ball. He put the pool cue down onto the table and downed the rest of his drink. "Bitterness does not become you."

She huffed at him, but her eyes were smiling and soon she was as well. "Bah, you got lucky."

"You know some people say they'd rather be lucky than good."

"Not you," she laughed and swatted at his arm. "Come on, it's getting late. My back's starting to twinge a little bit."

He nodded and pulled on his coat before offering her his arm. The gesture was practically automatic nowadays, but he loved the way the little show of gallantry made her smile. He had been raised a gentleman and he insisted on playing the part for her when he could, if just to see that look. They were halfway back to the hotel when it started to rain.

It wasn't much at first, just a drop here and there until it increased to a light shower. Then the heavens decided to open up. It came down in sheets and they were both quite drenched in a matter of moments and yet when he turned to May, the woman had her head tilted back and she was laughing as the cold water sluiced over her skin. He was reminded again of the water nymph dancing under Lugia's wings and smiled as he undid his coat, opening it up so he could hold part of it over her head to shield her. They ran through the rain and he could still hear her laughing over the storm. She was still laughing when they entered the hotel lobby and he realized that so was he.

May clung to him to support herself as she giggled helplessly, waving at the desk clerk as they stumbled into the elevator. "S-So," she said, struggling to keep her mirth under control, "to the victor go the spoils. What are you going to claim as your prize sir?"

He looked at her and it didn't take him long to decide.

There was a beat of silence and then he was kissing her with all he had, and to his complete and utter joy she responded in kind, parting her lips willingly to deepen it. Her back hit the elevator wall and she immediately curled her arms around his neck, allowing herself to be lifted up as he continued to kiss her senseless. When they parted he was pleased to note how dark her eyes had become, her pupils widening until there was just a thin azure ring surrounding them. She smiled and pressed her forehead to his. "Good choice. Now, does this mean we can stop pretending that we don't want to do this all the time?"

"Yes."

"Oh thank god," she muttered before pulling him down into another searing kiss. They came to their floor and the elevator doors opened with a soft ding. May broke off the embrace only to grab his arm and pull him towards their room. She fumbled for the key card and he laughed at her urgency as she wrenched open the door.

"In a hurry are we?"

"Damn straight," she growled, placing her hand against his chest to give him a hearty shove down onto the bed. Maxie was half starting to believe it was a dream; May Maple was on top of him, kissing him fervently and threading her fingers through his wet hair. The room's holo caster ring, however, made him realize that this was in fact reality – only he would have such bad luck. May laughed softly and pulled away. "Sorry, call me neurotic but I can't let that go unanswered."

Sighing, he nodded and settled his hands on her hips, waiting patiently as she picked up the device from the nightstand and switched it on. It flickered to life and a small projection of Hilda appeared. "Hello Hilda, it's been a few days since we last heard from you – I was starting to get worried!"

"Sorry about that," Hilda replied sheepishly. "The reception out in the wilds is awful. Hey, where's Maxie?"

"Here," he sighed and sat up so that he would be in the field of view on Hilda's device. He offered her a smile, trying not to think about how dishevelled he must look. "How are you?"

"Fine, uh hope I'm not interrupting," the girl replied, looking just a little bit smug as she looked at the pair of them. "Looks like you're having fun."

"Watch the sass young lady," May said teasingly as she shifted to sit sideways across Maxie's lap. "But in all seriousness how are things going?"

"Great, I won another gym badge this morning! I was hoping to head back to Nimbasa a bit to see you both. Has there been any more trouble on your end?"

"No, it's been quiet. How about you?"

"Plenty of grunts running around, but none of them have been as...violent as the pair you dealt with. I still can't believe they would stoop so low."

"Well I'm glad they aren't giving you too much trouble. What about that N fellow you mentioned? Have you been able to talk with him?"

"Yes, frankly I don't think he's the one calling the shots. He definitely isn't the type to send out a hit squad in any case. I'm pretty sure that one was all Ghetsis," Hilda said, frowning. "N seems reasonable...I wish I could speak directly with Ghetsis, try to understand why he's doing all of this."

"Tread lightly there Hilda. The Harmonias have a reputation. Their wrath is nearly as legendary as their family history," Maxie warned her. "Please don't underestimate him."

"Thanks, I'll be careful as always," Hilda replied with a smile. "Anyway, I'll let you two go. Hopefully I'll see you in a few days!"

"Alright dear, take care."

"Yes _mom_!" she said cheekily before the device shut off and her projection disappeared. May huffed a laugh and set the holo caster down on the bedside table again.

"Such a brazen girl."

"Hmm reminds me of someone," he commented, smirking as he brushed away her wet hair from her face. It really was endearing how maternal May had become in regards to Hilda even though they weren't terribly far apart in age, making sure to keep tabs on the girl and fussing over how she was faring. Just another unexpected quirk he'd become so fond of. "I just have one quick question before we ah, continue."

"Now would be a pertinent time."

"Where on earth did you learn to play pool like that?"

"Oh, Phoebe taught me when I first became Champion. You wouldn't expect it, but that girl is one hell of a pool shark!"


End file.
